The Kazuya Story: Tekken 1
by gamegirl07
Summary: The title says it all. This story will chronologically go through Kazuya's life all the way up to the first Tekken. It isn't canon, but it strives to be. Lots of twists and my take on how things really happened. Kazuya X Jun of course. Sequel in progress.
1. On The Eve

Chapter 1: On the Eve…

He had gotten sidetracked again and this time it was by a butterfly. Previously, he had been running his hand through the soft grass—it was a lush, green color. Being attracted to anything he deemed beautiful or vibrant, an arbitrary butterfly would be more than enough to motivate him to try and touch it. Determined, he crawled excitedly after it and when the butterfly fluttered too far above him, the child climbed unsteadily to his feet and gave a well-intended leap. Of course, he completely missed his target, but the exhilarating tumble to the ground more than made up for it and he thought he would try it out again.

"Kazuyaaa!" a female's voice called out to him, "Don't go too far now!"

The child looked up as he heard her voice. When she used that tone, he knew that it was some sort of warning. Perhaps he had done something wrong. The only thing he could think to do was come back to her side. The woman, who he so aptly named "mama", always sat in a wheelchair and wore one of her many traditional kimonos. She had a pleasant expression on her face.

"Now, now, are you worried about me? Come here, Kazuya," Kazumi cooed with open arms.

Since her voice was tender and she seemed to be beckoning for him to come closer, he did so. When he was close enough, she would lift him up in her arms and then cradle him. Really, he was slightly too old for that sort of thing, but she did so anyways. Because she was forced to stay in her wheelchair due to the paralysis, this was the only way she could even be this close to him. Besides, he didn't seem to mind at all. Usually, boys didn't want to be coddled so much, but Kazumi supposed that he was a special case. He was quite ticklish, at any given time she could easily make him giggle which she did at that moment. When he was happy, she was happy and that would mean that she was pretty cheerful all the time. If only that were true.

She could instinctively hear the footsteps of the man who was supposedly her husband. Heihachi simply had too much time on his hands. Anyone who knew him also knew that he had one goal to accomplish in life—and it certainly wasn't being a father or raising a family or passing on his legacy. None of those things seemed to fit his personality anyways. He only craved power and the fastest way to get there was through his father Jinpachi who had founded an empire that was hugely successful. Heihachi had chosen the less violent route and reasoned that if he could please his father enough, he could persuade him to hand over his position sooner. He had gone to such incredible lengths to do so that he had actually agreed to an arranged marriage—one that would put Jinpachi in an extremely lucrative position. Kazumi, who had come from a rich family, had spent her life preparing for the moment when she would finally be married off; however, she had not bargained on being sent to live with the devil.

The more she saw of him, the more she knew that it was her duty to protect her child from his influence. The laughing bundle in her arms soon quieted as if he too could sense the danger approaching.

"What do you want?" Kazumi said before he was even close enough to reach out and touch her.

From her tone, Kazuya knew that making any sort of sound would help the situation little.

"What's wrong? A father can't come to look on his son?"

"When it's you, there certainly _is_ a problem. Wondering if I'm dead yet? No, I'm still alive unfortunately—I've just been avoiding you."

"You've been missing for days—your family has been concerned about you and I'm running out of convenient excuses. Why don't you quit with all this childishness and come back to the house?"

"Not even going to ask me where I've been? You know I come out here regularly. Had you truly been keen on finding me, this should have been the first place to look. I'm not as stupid as you think I am. You'd be content even if you found that me and your son happened to be dead."

"No, I wouldn't," Heihachi said with a grin, "You're far too important to my father's success. What good would come from your death?"

"Take me back already. I think I'll take advantage of your goodwill even if it is false."

"Good," Heihachi said simply.

Kazumi felt as he roughly took hold of the handles and pushed her forth back to the mansion.

"You remember our agreement," Heihachi asked presently.

"Like I heard it just yesterday," Kazumi said holding the child closer to her bosom.

The agreement being that if she played her role to his satisfaction, he'd have nothing to do with the upbringing of their son. Kazumi suspected that he had only agreed to this because he really didn't care that he had a son in the first place—this was the easiest way to take such burdens off his hands. This fact couldn't matter less to Kazumi who knew enough to take advantage of the cards dealt to her. Considering the situation, the agreement was a God-given gift.

"You shouldn't coddle him so much," Heihachi said despite himself, but he found it all to be quite disgusting. "The way you're going, he won't be able to walk until he's seven."

"As if you know anything about children. He'll be fine."

"He'll be a complete and utter weakling."

"Who asked for your opinion? There's more to life than just fighting and betraying people. I'll make sure that he's nothing like you."

Heihachi laughed when she said this—the kind of laugh that would _not_ cause others to join in, "Do what you want, but in the end, the Mishima blood still flows in his veins."

Kazumi frowned at this, "As long as there's still breath in my body, you won't get your way."

"I admire your tenacity, but I could care less who my son will or won't be so long as he doesn't embarrass me or get in my way."

"Then you'll have nothing to worry about."

Kazumi was left in the living room when they got back home. Apparently, Heihachi did in fact have something to do—no doubt he was out kissing his father's ass. Kazumi wondered how long that would last.

When she looked down at her bundle, she realized that he had fallen asleep. Maybe he found his parent's arguing akin to a lullaby—it always turned out this way. Heihachi would show up, they would have a few choice words with each other and by the time she could find time to herself again, he would already be asleep. The only thing she could do was smile when he tried to pull at her kimono as if it were a blanket. She sat him in her lap and rolled her wheelchair to Kazuya's room.

It might have been a sparsely furnished room, but Heihachi had to keep up appearances especially with her parents. He had to keep up the pretense that Kazuya was living in a safe and loving environment. Her parents would want to come over some times specifically to dote on their firstborn son. Kazumi couldn't believe how oblivious her parents could be—Heihachi loathed their very presence. If he had his way, they'd never come over, Kazuya would be somewhere locked in a room, and Kazumi would simply be on house arrest. Her parents just couldn't sense his true nature like she could and she couldn't afford to tell her parents of the situation especially since Heihachi had warned her against it. If there was one thing she knew about Heihachi, it was that he was always in the know.

Kazumi placed Kazuya gently into the crib and tucked him in. She watched as he yawned and pulled the covers even closer. When she quietly rolled her wheelchair back as she began to reach for the light switch behind her, she heard movement in the crib. Kazumi looked back and found the other looking towards her with imploring eyes.

"Mama…" he began in his small voice, most of his sentences began with this name, "Don't go."

"Kazuya…alright, Mommy will stay for just a little while longer. Let me turn the lights off."

It was at times like this when she remembered that he was in fact, three years old and completely capable of forming actual sentences. He didn't speak very often and normally only ever did so when it was of the utmost importance. She sat with him in the dark until she was sure that he was thoroughly asleep. Then she left for the kitchen to prepare lunch for him.

She smiled to herself as she opened the refrigerator. Maybe when he was old enough, she could teach him how to cook. She planned on teaching him everything she knew—it was something she was looking forward to. Even if Heihachi decided to ignore their agreement and interject himself into Kazuya's development, Kazumi knew that her son wasn't much of a fighter—he was too carefree, too pure hearted to even want to commit his life to harming others. The Kazuya she knew would never agree to such a thing.

/

AN: You like so far or have you already grown tired of it? Whatever your opinion, let me hear it! More to come soon.


	2. A Troubling Death

Chapter 2: A Troubling Death

Kazuya woke up to the scent of an acrid, burning smell. His eyes began to water from the heavy smoke that had traveled into his room. Sensing something was not right, he pulled the covers off of him and unlocked the crib bars just as he had seen his mother do plenty of times before and stumbled onto the carpet. He couldn't walk very well so he simply crawled out of his room. As he moved closer and closer to living room, the smell transformed into something rather sickening. When he stood up to get a better look of the living room, he saw that no one was there and nothing looked particularly out of place. Then he entered the next room which was the kitchen. When he pushed through the blue veil curtains, the smoke and smell intensified twofold. He made out a wheelchair in the thickening smoke, but that was as far as he got just as he felt strong hands snatching him from the ground. He struggled from it in protest, but it was like fighting against a brick wall. The only thing he knew was that the wheelchair was getting further and further away.

"Maaaamaaaa!" Kazuya cried out desperately and repeatedly.

Even as the curtains closed in front of his face, he still called for her. Since she hadn't come, he knew that something was wrong. Whenever he called her name, she would appear before him without a second thought. Now she seemed so far away—he hadn't even heard her call back in response. Then he could no longer see anything as the hands who held him grasped him in a position that allowed no movement—he could no longer even make a fuss.

"Christ, you're giving me a headache with your screaming," Kazuya heard Heihachi say.

Kazuya felt all of his airways blocked so he was made to quiet down if he ever wanted to breathe again. When Kazuya could see again, he only saw a burning house and as uniformed men scrambled about with hoses.

"Save her," Kazuya said at once.

"What was that boy?"

"Save her," Kazuya repeated indignantly, "You're big and strong. Save her."

"Why don't _you_ save her, brat, since you care so much about her?"

"No…no, I can't," Kazuya said in a confused manner.

This was the perhaps the most Kazuya had said at one time and the fact that he was speaking to his father was an even more unusual occasion—they never spoke to one another. Kazumi had always kept him at a safe distance from his father.

"Because you're weak. You see that house burning down before you—your mother is going to catch her death and there's nothing you can do for it, boy. No use in making a fuss over it."

"But…but, she's…"

"What was that, kid? I see you don't really understand anything, do you?"

Suddenly, Kazuya found himself on the ground. Kazuya looked back at his father questioningly.

"Let me tell it to you simply. You're never going to see your mother again."

"Never…?"

Kazuya only received a grin from him, "Well, if you don't know now, you will later on. You should count yourself lucky, kid—you might have died as well. It would have been nothing to simply leave you in there and claim that I had no idea where you were, but, you see, that would be too much of a coincidence with my entire family dying at once. I do still need to keep on my father's good side—and, of course, there's my image I need to keep up."

"Father…"

Heihachi looked at him waiting for the other to say something else.

"Father…you talk too much."

"Is that all you got out of all of that? I see I'm going to have easier time fooling you—that is, if I care to. Your mother—ah, I see I have your attention—your mother presented me with the perfect way to get rid of a very persistent headache: herself. She died all on her own without any help from me so her death couldn't be helped. Even if I were to charge back in there like some wanton idiot, she'd already be dead. She must have fainted while trying to cook something on the stove and her face fell onto a steamy hot eye turning her brains into a crispy mess. When I found her, she was thoroughly stuck to the iron. Silly woman. But it really is a waste explaining things to people who can't even spell their own name."

"Mama…was burned…?" Kazuya said slowly—he desperately wanted to understand, but Heihachi might as well have been speaking in a foreign language.

Kazuya understood that his mom had been caught in a fire; he could clearly see the deteriorating house. He didn't think of the fact that fires needed some reason for them to start. He simply presumed that Heihachi was describing how the house was burning and how his mother was still inside for some reason—he didn't catch the fact that his mother had already been dead before the fire had even started. But there was something else that Kazuya could never hope to figure out on his own—at least until years later—his mother should not have been cooking in the first place. She was a frail, paralyzed woman who had no business going about her daily life without assistance let alone taking care of a baby all on her own. She had been defiant towards Heihachi and he had retaliated in his own cunning way.

Soon Kazuya found himself in his father's arms as more uniformed men surrounded them peppering his father with questions wanting to know exactly what had taken place. He seemed to have been forgotten so he simply fell asleep again after a while even in the uncomfortable grasp of his father.

/

"You can walk, can't you?" Heihachi asked the child who insisted on crawling everywhere, "I won't have you embarrassing me any longer. Stand up."

Kazuya understood the command "stand up" and he tried to do so in an unsteady fashion.

"If you had been trying to do that all along, you wouldn't look so mentally challenged now," Heihachi growled.

Before he fell back down again, he grabbed on to one of his father's pant legs for support.

"You can't walk if you're always holding onto something," Heihachi said shaking the other off, but Kazuya's grip was surprisingly strong. "Get off already, boy," he said shaking him off even harder until Kazuya practically flew off and collided with the leg of the marble table nearby. "Damn," he cursed under his breath. He looked around himself to see if anyone had noticed their little debacle.

When Heihachi didn't hear any movement from Kazuya from under the table, he peered under it. This was certainly not out of concern, but for worry that Kazuya would start wailing and bringing attention to them. They were presently at Kazumi's closed-casket funeral. It had been decided that they would hold the ceremony at Jinpachi's mansion. Many of Kazumi's family attended, but there was only three Mishimas in attendance.

"Kazuya," Heihachi called in a hushed voice.

To his surprise, he found the other staring back at him with a puzzled expression.

"I'm fine," Kazuya said breaking the silence.

When Heihachi forcibly pulled the other out, he noticed a line of blood crawling down the front of his face.

"Again, again," Kazuya demanded with bright eyes.

"What are you a glutton for punishment?" Heihachi hissed as he positioned himself so no one would see.

He quickly made his way to the bathroom. When there, he grabbed a ball of toilet paper, wetted it and wiped his face clean. Thankfully, there was no large gash only a small cut a little ways back from the edge of his hair. After putting some pressure on it, there seemed to be no more bleeding. It was then that he remembered Kazumi complaining about Kazuya's tendency to tumble out of bed on purpose. She had been forced to keep him in a crib longer than usual because of that fact. Either Kazuya liked feeling pain or he found the entire exercise exhilarating—whatever was the case, it would explain his reaction in this situation. Heihachi found it all to be quite convenient—it meant that he didn't have to deal with much crying in the future especially when he planned to drastically change the way things were done.

"Where's mama?" Kazuya asked pronouncing "mama" like "maw-maw" as he usually did.

"Kazuya, you're no longer allowed to ask that question anymore."

"But…"

"I don't want to hear it anymore. The next time you ask, there will be some dire consequences—or let me put it this way: ask again and very bad things will happen."

"Okay," Kazuya replied simply.

"There will be no more coddling, understand?" Heihachi said slowly.

Kazuya only stared back at him.

"Nod if you understand, brat."

Kazuya nodded back.

"There will be no more holding hands," Heihachi continued. "At least nod, boy."

Kazuya nodded again.

Heihachi sighed exasperatedly, "And you will no longer act as if you're working with only a third of your brain."

And Kazuya only stared at him in his eternally good mood.

Heihachi lifted him off the sink roughly and dropped him on the floor only to receive a giggle. The fact that Kazuya found tumbling and falling exciting was going to drive Heihachi crazy.

"Now stand up."

Kazuya climbed to his feet once again and followed Heihachi as best he could to the living room where Jinpachi had just stood up to give the eulogy. Heihachi couldn't wait until this entire ordeal was over so he could put her death behind him and move on with his ever increasing plans. The kissing-ass route was beginning to fall apart since the woman who connected their families together was already dead. The only thing keeping them together was Kazuya, their only son and Heihachi doubted if that would be enough pull to convince Kazumi's family to continue their ample support.

Heihachi glanced over at Kazuya and found that he had adopted a rather somber mood—maybe there was a chance that the brat was finally understanding the situation and the fact that his life would only go downhill from here. In reality, Kazuya was only sensing the emotions around him. He couldn't understand Jinpachi's melancholic speech or the reason that so many people were sad all at once—but he understood unhappiness and he didn't like it at all.

They stayed a while longer after the ceremony was over. Heihachi spoke to many people that Kazuya had never seen before. He only knew of Jinpachi and Kazumi's parents. Jinpachi was the only one who took the time to actually speak with Kazuya as he pulled him away from his father.

"There's something I'd like to ask you, Kazuya," Jinpachi said slowly so that the other might understand, "How is your father?"

"He's happy."

"Happy?"

"He's happy," Kazuya repeated, "He says I shouldn't ask about Mama anymore."

"Well, I suppose that's good advice. Do you…understand what's happened here?"

"Everyone is sad because Mama was burned."

"Burned in what way?"

"Like, "ouchie" burn. But…how come…how come I can't ask her if she's alright?"

"You see, you can't."

"Why not?"

"She's gone."

"She ran away?"

"No, she's no longer in this world."

"I don't…understand."

"You're a person," Jinpachi began slowly, "_I'm_ a person and so is your father. Sometimes, a person can disappear forever. They no longer breathe or talk to people anymore. That is your mama. The burn was so bad that it caused this."

"Really, really bad burning…caused my Mama to dis-a-ppear."

"Exactly."

"I wanted to say good-bye before she disappeared…"

"You can still do so."

"Really?"

"Touch that casket over there and say it aloud—she'll hear it."

Promptly, Kazuya made his way to the casket and everyone seemed to quiet down as they saw the determined way he walked towards it. There was something special about a son wanting to say a few words to his recently deceased mother.

"Mama, you disappeared so quickly…I wanted to say good-bye. I know you can't talk back, but I want you to know that I really miss you and that I'll never know someone else like you ever, ever again. I want you to be happy too so please don't frown…," for some reason, Kazuya felt this heavy sadness fall upon him. He didn't exactly like the sensation of tears, but they came forth nonetheless and he found he couldn't stop them, "please don't frown because I promise you…I'll always make you happy."

A few others burst out into tears as well as Kazuya simply stood in front of the casket with gushing tears. Kazuya looked up when he felt a familiar shadow overhead.

"Glad you've come to your senses, but you're shedding unnecessary tears," Heihachi spoke in hushed tones, "I'll have to take you home since it seems you can't pull yourself together."

Heihachi picked up Kazuya in perhaps the gentlest way he had ever managed. He was all too glad to find an excuse to leave the place. Once he was in the car, he found that he had yet another task.

"Alright, kid, the funeral's over. No point in crying anymore."

Kazuya continued on quietly as he stared at the car floor.

"And you said you promised to make your mother happy…how can you do that if you're crying?"

Kazuya looked up at him when he said this, "You're right."

Heihachi was more impressed that Kazuya had understood this than anything else. "Alright then, buckle up, kid."

Really, Kazuya still needed a booster seat as he was still too small for a regular seat, but things like this never bothered a man like Heihachi.

The day after the funeral was one of the many pivotal points in Kazuya's life—it was the day when things began to change forever.

/

AN: Can't wait for the next chapter? Yeah, I know. And I really enjoy hearing others' opinions.


	3. A New Encounter

Chapter 3: A New Encounter

Kazuya soon understood what Heihachi had meant by no more coddling or holding hands. Everything was different. Ever since, Kazumi had "disappeared" as Kazuya put it in his mind something essential had been ripped from his life. It didn't take him long to realized that the thing which had grown accustomed to and had taken for granted was the overarching presence of love.

There was something different in the eyes of his father, something that Kazuya did not dare ponder on. His father spoke in a weird language that only consisted of barely comprehensible words and obvious belittlement. While Kazuya didn't always follow his father's insults, he knew that he was being insulted on a regular bases—a routine that he had never experienced from his mom. With her he had felt invincible as if he could do whatever he set his mind to, but with him he felt like he was absolutely nothing, a complete and utter nuisance. It was a new feeling that Kazuya grew used to surprisingly quickly. If there was one thing that Heihachi could compliment Kazuya on—though he didn't—was the fact that he never cried despite everything. Heihachi had believed that his poor, weak son would soon fall prey to depression and constant despondency after obliterating everything that he had once held dear, but Kazuya seemed unbreakable in those regards.

"Starting today, you will wake up at the crack of dawn, understand?"

Kazuya merely nodded at the other—he knew by then that Heihachi always liked nods when he put the word "understand" at the end of his sentences.

"You will meet me in this exact place every day at that time and you will begin your training under my instructions, understand?"

"Yes," Kazuya said simply with a nod, "But what training?"

"Well, what do you think? I can't let my son continue to embarrass me day in and day out with his tendency to be completely pathetic. You're a poor excuse of a son and until you're strong enough, I'll always acknowledge you as such. Remember, Kazuya, as it stands, you mean nothing to me. Work hard and you'll gain my approval."

"Okay," Kazuya said with a nod, "I'll make you happy as well."

"Hmph, we'll see about that. Remember, kid, tomorrow at the crack of dawn."

Tomorrow didn't come soon enough for Kazuya who was anxious to see what was in store for him. The word "training" sounded like it would be fun and in fact it was initially which could be translated to a mere split second. Kazuya was presented with two dumbbells weighted at 10 pounds each. It was a struggle to pick them up in the first place. When he heard that he had to strike forth as if to punch someone while holding these weights, Kazuya knew it was going to be a long day. He was quite tired after merely two punches and when he looked back at his father he flinched back in fear and continued the exercise despite himself. The look in his father's eyes suggested pain, very excruciating pain.

When he finally finished all the reps, Heihachi thankfully called it a day, but Kazuya could no longer feel his palms and veins were painfully visible on his arms. He couldn't move them because they were worn out and too heavy to lift so he simply fell out sprawled on the grass. He was still hurting even after an hour when his father came back out and demanded that he eat dinner. When Kazuya didn't comply, Heihachi grabbed the nape of his shirt and dragged him back in the house—there was little in the way of resistance from Kazuya.

He soon found himself sitting at a table with a spread that he would only ever see at Thanksgiving or Easter Sunday.

"Wow…did you make all this?" Kazuya said as he smelled all the enticing food. "You're a really great cook."

"Don't be so excited," Heihachi said with a frown—though he did appreciate the compliment—"All this that you see here is _your_ food. You must eat all of it."

"All of it? At one time?"

"Correct. Then go straight to bed."

"Straight to bed? Can I brush my teeth before that?"

"Yes, of course—don't be such an idiot."

"I don't think I can eat all of this."

"Oh, but you _will_ eat all of this food—this, is how you gain muscles. Otherwise, you'll always be a toothpick."

"Alright, I'll try."

"Don't try. Do it. I hope I don't have to remind you of the consequences."

Kazuya shook his head quickly. Heihachi watched the other for a while as he began slowly on the food, then he left when he was satisfied that the other could be trusted to continue on. Kazuya only wished that he _had_ stayed for the sake of motivation. It was easier to force things down his throat when his father was watching a few yards away, but now that he was gone it became that much harder. In fact, he really just wanted to throw up, but that would be a horrible thing to do at this time—not after he had devoured more than half the spread; he had surprised even himself. Luckily, everything did taste wonderfully, but post-full-point made even the most delicious food just plain disgusting. His taste buds were no longer excited about the taste; they had dulled—it was as if his entire body was telling him to give up already, but he still continued. Even as it began to taste like cramming balls of paper down, he tried to down the last few plates of food. He was beginning to feel increasingly tired like he would drop off at any second. He thought of the horrible "consequences" that his father always so fondly referred to one last time in the most grotesque way possible and scarfed down the rest of the food. He tried to make it to his bedroom which was all the way upstairs, but only made it to the hallway before he could no longer resist the temptation of rest.

Heihachi, who had watched his son's endeavor from afar, looked on with an amused expression. When he saw that his son hadn't made it to his room, he laughed finding it all to be quite hilarious, took up his jacket and went out for the remainder of the day—he knew that Kazuya would be utterly unreachable for many hours to come.

/

Kazuya awoke to a fuzzy, spinning world and was forced to wait until everything returned to normal again before he sat up. Not caring that he hadn't made it to his bedroom, he simply sat up against the hallway wall. Everything was quiet now, extremely quiet and he felt well rested—he also didn't know what day it was. Someone had turned all the lights out so it was soothingly dark.

He realized at that moment, that he had nothing to think about right then even though this seemed like the perfect moment to ponder on something. His mind simply felt numb. The fact that his mother was dead was such a reoccurring thought that he soon took it for granted. Mother's dead, what else is new? His life seemed to be on this downward slope, everyday would bring more pain and mostly in a physical sense, anything else newsworthy? Heihachi knows how to cook; well that was an interesting fact. Kazuya had never seen him cook anything past the basic scrambled eggs and bacon, but now suddenly he was a chef. Why had he not done such things for Mother? Maybe he had just now remembered the fact that he could create feasts at a moment's notice? Kazuya was naïve but not _that_ naïve.

Kazuya could soon see the sun coming up in the window in the distance and he scrambled to his feet as he went out to his father to continue their regimen.

"Ah, I'm glad you actually made it today—I thought for sure you would skip."

"Not a chance," Kazuya said confidently.

Heihachi smirked at this, "Well, there's a time for everything. Now, I want you to do a hundred reps this time with these humiliatingly light dumbbells. After that, I will put on 20 pounder ankle weights and I want you to run around 20 times with those on."

Kazuya stared at the other in disbelief. The hundred reps was already looking difficult—he'd have no energy left for running and especially not twenty laps. Not to mention that the field that they were in was humongous—twice the size of a football field.

"Stop lollygagging, get to it," Heihachi demanded.

The hundred reps were murder—the twenty laps was suicide. Kazuya found that only his legs were moving—the rest of his body had shut down completely. When Heihachi claimed that he was done because Kazuya couldn't actually count to twenty he only knew twenty to be "way bigger" than five, Kazuya simply dropped from where he was standing.

"Take those ankle weights off already, you dimwit!" Heihachi barked.

Kazuya was nonresponsive for only a moment, but when he heard Heihachi's approach, he sat straight up and did exactly as he was told. When Heihachi held his hand out, Kazuya rightly assumed that they were for the weights and he handed it to him. Heihachi then left Kazuya to himself in the same manner as yesterday. This time was a bit different; he really couldn't move. Last time, at least he could move his legs, but now whenever he tried to do such a thing the overall pain was too much for Kazuya to want to bother with.

He was in a daze for a long time until he heard his father's voice barking at him as usual. At this point, he didn't care what kind of punishment Heihachi had for him since he was unable to follow his instructions. Moments later he felt himself being dragged once again and could hear his father's favorite "pathetic" word being uttered under his breath. Kazuya was presented with a spread similar to last time and was ordered to eat all of it. The task seemed slightly easier this time, but he still wound up stuffing himself silly before downing the entire feast. Kazuya silently wondered if this was even a safe thing to be doing, but he would never relate such things to his father if he didn't have to.

Kazuya didn't bother getting up from the table. He simply rested his head on the hard wood and promptly fell asleep only to be awoken by the rising sun. After a yawn, he traversed to his father who always seemed to be there well before him. Heihachi sent him off on the same task and the process repeated itself over and over again until Kazuya found that he was simply doing instead of thinking. The weights continued to increase by two every two weeks and the laps became longer and longer.

One day after a lovely morning of too much training, Kazuya found that he could actually sit up, but he still breathed heavily. His two palms were pressed to the grassy ground beneath as he used them to lean forward on. His legs were bent as he did this and sat upon them. For a while he did nothing but stare at the grass between his clenching hands (his hands tended to do such things after grasping on to too-heavy weights for so long), but then he closed his eyes in tiredness.

"Hey you!" yelled a voice from a little distance.

Since the voice wasn't that of his father, Kazuya assumed that it was part of his dreams—something he hadn't had in a while. The new voice sounded insistent asking that he might "play with her". It was a pleasant voice—yet another thing he had not been privy to in a while. This _had_ to be a dream. There was no one besides him and his father.

When he distinctively felt a presence in front of him, Kazuya had to at least check and see if this was all just an elaborate dream. Before him sat a little girl, one who appeared to be around his age—she had assumed the same sitting position as him.

"Hey, are you awake now?"

"Yes," Kazuya responded cautiously. It took him a moment to realize that this person was indeed real and capable of speaking.

"Wanna play with me?"

"Um, sure."

She held a brown teddy bear in one of her arms, Kazuya noticed as she stood up. "Come with me," she said.

Kazuya stood and followed after her until they were walking side by side. "What's your name?" he finally asked.

"Oh, that's right—my name is Jun. Yours is Kazuya, right?"

"How did you know that?" Kazuya asked with surprise.

"Everyone knows that."

"What?"

"Heihachi's son. Is it true that he keeps you in a cage and only takes you out to torture you?"

"No—no, of course not. People say that?"

"Just rumors. There's lots of rumors. Since I live nearby…I got curious.

"You live…nearby?"

"Yeah, silly. But there's a lot of space out here so I guess I live far away. See those woods?" Jun said pointing.

Kazuya looked towards where her finger was indicating. There were indeed deep woods that began on the outcrops of Heihachi's property. Kazuya had never ventured so far out, he remembered that his mother would always warn him not to and Heihachi's training didn't require that he ever go in.

"You live in the woods?"

"No, but I have an animal I'd like you to meet."

"But why?"

"Does there need to be a reason?"

Kazuya stopped in his tracks, "I don't know about this—it looks far away…father might want me back soon."

"It won't take long," Jun said turning back to him, "Please come with me. I need to make sure of something…"

"Of what?"

"To make sure those rumors aren't true—that's all."

"I told you, they weren't"

"No…the other ones."

Kazuya looked at her pensively. He wondered if asking just what those were would get him anywhere.

"You're not doing anything," Jun said, "Besides, it's no fun playing all by yourself."

"No, I guess not."

"Then let's go."

"Alright, but I can't stay for long."

"No worries. You just have to keep up," Jun said with a smile as she sped off in front of him.

Kazuya sighed and then ran after her. He might have been competitive if he had that kind of energy to spare. Jun easily made it to their destination first, but she _was_ the one showing him where to go. Running at any sort of pace over the uneven ground was no fun for Kazuya, but he didn't feel like complaining about it. He was glad when the ground evened out and they entered a meadow. Suddenly, there were no trees and sunlight burst through the sky. Jun stopped in front of a small makeshift shelter and asked Kazuya to wait outside while she got something out.

"C'mere, kitty," Jun coaxed gently, "C'mere, little kitty—got someone for you to meet."

"Can cats really understand that?" Kazuya asked finally when he saw nothing come forth.

Jun looked back at the other with a smile, "Of course. He's just a little scared. He was all beat up when I found him and I've been taking care of him ever since."

It was then when Kazuya spied a white paw peeping out of the wooden shelter. When he heard a small "meow", he knew that there really was a cat in there. The cat seemed a bit shaky as it stepped out cautiously. There were black splotches over its back and one of its ears, but the rest of it was white. Jun picked him up when he had come out far enough. Then she approached Kazuya with it—the teddy bear was long forgotten on the ground.

"Wait…what am I supposed to do with that?" Kazuya asked.

But Jun simply handed him to him; not wanting to simply drop it, Kazuya held onto it firmly.

"You gotta hold it to your face," Jun said with a giggle.

"Like this?" he asked.

Now the kitty was in a prime position to lick the other's face to its heart content. Startled by the whole thing, he lost his grasp on the cat, but he landed squarely on his feet. The kitty placed his two front paws on one of his sneakers and then proceeded to rubbing his head against Kazuya's leg. In response, he bent down and petted the cat's head tentatively but then continued in a surer manner when he noticed that he didn't mind it at all. Jun bent down too near them and rubbed the cat's back a few times.

"See, love heals all," Jun said simply.

"What?" Kazuya asked as he looked up at Jun.

"That's what Mommy says. No matter what—given the right kind of love, it heals all. Don't you think so?"

"Sure," he said after a moment, "I can believe that." Kazuya looked back down at the purring kitty, "Does he have a name?"

"He hasn't told me yet."

"Jun…cats don't talk. You have to name it."

"Yes they do. One day, he'll tell me."

"Well, I have to go."

"What? So soon?"

"I told you, I can't stay that long."

Kazuya stood up after a few moments even as Jun looked at him pleadingly.

"Sorry," Kazuya said finally, "Maybe I could come back some time."

Kazuya took off through the woods in a relatively linear direction and thankfully made it back to familiar grounds. He was just in time for his father who had just come out again.

"You have enough energy for extracurricular activities, you have enough energy for more serious training," Heihachi said when Kazuya showed up.

Kazuya was still reasonably winded as he stood before his father, but this time unlike all the others, he was able to walk on his own accord back to the house. Even though he was expecting the large spread, he still couldn't believe his eyes when he actually saw it. Heihachi didn't even bother telling him what to do or even sat down to watch if Kazuya actually did as he was told. Kazuya watched as his father left to attend other business that was always a complete mystery to him. Kazuya didn't dare take advantage of this moment—in fact this was the best time to get on Heihachi's good side.

Almost an hour past before Kazuya finished up and just as he was about to drop off, he heard the doorbell ring. Curious about who would want to visit at this time in the late afternoons, Kazuya made his way to the front door. He had to jump a little to reach the doorknob and he just managed to turn it. The door swung on its hinges, but Kazuya dropped off before he was slammed into the wall.

"Jun? What are you doing here?" Kazuya asked when he saw who it was.

"What do you mean? I came to visit," Jun replied.

"You can't just come visit."

"I don't get it…friends come and visit each other, right?"

"Friends…?"

"Yeah, we're friends."

"Oh," Kazuya said caught off-guard.

"Can I come in?"

"No, I can't just let you in. I don't think…I'm allowed to."

"Really? Your dad says?"

"No, but, I mean, I'm sure he'd say no…"

"Alright, well, I don't want you to be in trouble."

"I'm sorry, but it would be dangerous. Don't come and visit. This time _I_ answered the door—next time could be my father."

"Oh, I get it. Your father is evil."

"Well…" Kazuya began uncertainly—the word seemed a bit strong, "he's just…not friendly and I really don't want you to meet him."

"Tomorrow then?"

"I'll try." It was the only response he could sincerely commit to. He knew he'd try to go and visit her, but that didn't necessarily mean he'd be able to go and meet her.

Kazuya closed the door and breathed a sigh of relief. In his mind, he had just saved her from his father. It was alright for himself to spend days on end with his father, but he couldn't bear the thought of someone else having to go through the same thing behind closed doors. He tiredly made his way upstairs, but for some reason he didn't fall automatically to sleep. The thought of having a friend hadn't fully sunken in yet.

AN: Yes, I know that Kazuya is actually seven years older than Jun and she probably wouldn't have existed at this time…but work with me.


	4. And There was a Cliff

Chapter 4: And There was a Cliff

Heihachi hadn't been bluffing when he had hinted at putting Kazuya's budding energy to full use. If Kazuya wasn't bone tired after training, then Heihachi was not satisfied. In the beginning, training hadn't really taken that long, but now it took hours. Kazuya's weights continued to increase, however now it was by ten. Heihachi also began teaching Kazuya actual fighting technique—and that was when the intensity of the training was ramped up to almost impossible levels. Instead of training outside, they had moved their site to a private gym that was located on the other side of Heihachi's gigantic property.

Heihachi was brutal and Kazuya had no choice but to accommodate his father's methods of training. It was no longer that his muscles were simply worn out, but now there were real bruises to show for all the pain. Kazuya knew that this was certainly not what his mother had wanted for him, but he was in no position to resist.

The years passed by and Kazuya could scarcely recall a day where he didn't feel like he would shatter into a thousand pieces. Everywhere he felt sore; even laying down brought no comfort. Just when he thought that things couldn't possibly get worse, they often did. It seemed Heihachi was incapable of showing such things as mercy towards his son—especially when he thought his technique was off…which it often was.

"You really have no natural talent, do you?" Heihachi snarled at Kazuya referring to his son's skills at fighting.

"Father, I promise I'll try my hardest," Kazuya maintained as he slid back into the fighting stance that had long since been drilled into his head.

Heihachi keenly watched his son perform the combination of moves that he had been teaching him for the past few days. When Kazuya finished, Heihachi smoothly shot one of his large fists into Kazuya's guts and the five year old was thrown back quite a few yards until his back struck the wall. Had Kazuya not been used to such attacks, he might have gotten the wind knocked out of him (and this had actually happened on earlier occasions), but it seemed that he was strong enough now to climb back to his feet afterwards.

Kazuya tried the routine out countless more times all ending up with the same response from his father.

"After all these years, you're still pathetic."

Kazuya was doubled over in pain as he could no longer hide the fact that Heihachi's attacks really did do some damage. "F-father, I'm sorry."

"Hmph. You say the same thing every day yet you come back with the same lack of skill as always. Don't bother 'apologizing', it makes you weak."

"I don't know why…I just don't know why it is so hard to please you."

"I've only asked one thing from you and you can't even do that much. You were and you always will be a pathetic excuse for a son."

Kazuya looked to the floor when he said this, "I'm sorry…"

"What have I told you about that?" Heihachi said severely.

Kazuya visibly flinched at his harsh voice.

"Alright, I'll take pity on you just this once," Heihachi began. Kazuya looked up in a surprised manner, "You'll be locked in here until sundown. Use your time wisely and perfect your technique. When I come back, show me that the Mishima blood flows strong in you and I won't have to subject you to my punishment."

Heihachi couldn't help but grin at the determination he saw in his son's eyes—it wasn't something he saw there very often; it suited his face well, far better than his usual look of defeat.

"Alright then, get to it," Heihachi said as he made his way to the door.

Kazuya watched as the door closed and heard as his father locked it from the outside. He slowly climbed to his feet and for the first time, he trained by himself without guidance. There was something oddly comforting about this fact. The constant pressure to get everything right was momentarily lifted; he could think on his own. To his surprise, the first thing that came to his mind was Jun.

His meetings with her had become far in between and at some point they completely lost contact with each other right around the time when Heihachi moved their training location. Besides, Kazuya was already beginning to look vastly different from when they first met—at least body-wise. He wondered if that might scare her away; in a way, he was glad to not to have to meet her continually. He had already sensed her pure and innocent nature even though he could not put words to it. Surely a person like that would want nothing to do with him. He really could do nothing for her. Jun seemed to know exactly what she liked or didn't like and she already had some goal which she strived towards. Kazuya had none of those things—he didn't really know himself. He only knew of his sworn duty as Heihachi's son which was to do everything he could to please him. He felt trapped, but that was the only thing he was used to.

His father had performed the routine plenty of times in front of him so Kazuya could picture it in his mind. If only he could translate it to his own movements. He attempted to do so over and over and over again until he did so mindlessly. The routine ended with a sharp, uppercut and Kazuya suspected that this was what he had been executing sloppily. Perhaps there wasn't enough oomph in his interpretation. Maybe he needed to hit harder.

Kazuya grew more and more fluid with the various moves he had to perform that he found that he could finish it in a shorter amount of time. Each time, he eased more and more of his strength into it. He became so concentrated on his execution that the time seemed to pass rapidly. By the time Heihachi stepped through the door, Kazuya was sitting cross-legged in the center of the room with closed eyes.

"I presume you're thoroughly prepared for this," Heihachi said drawing Kazuya out of his half-sleep trance.

"Yes," Kazuya said looking up at his father with bright eyes.

Kazuya climbed to his feet and smoothly moved into his beginning stance. Even as Kazuya began, it was as if time itself was at a standstill. Since this was his actual performance in front of his father, he no longer held his strength back. Each time he struck his fist forward, he began to feel weightless as if gravity could no longer hold him down. Kazuya moved rapidly and whenever he had to strike forth consecutively, those punches became blurs. He was fond of his finishing move which was an uppercut; he managed to put so much air on the move that had there been actual impact on an opponent, he might have been sent unconscious.

It took Kazuya a moment to notice the steady flow of crackling lightening around. Slowly, it died down and the weightlessness disappeared. Suddenly it was as if someone had dropped a metal ton on top of him. Reality came rushing in and he felt an exhaustion that he could never hope to conquer as he fell to the wooden floor.

If Kazuya had known the expression that his father had on his face, he might have tried a little harder to stay conscious a while longer. To put it frankly, Heihachi was utterly surprised. Not only had Kazuya performed to perfection—he had gone beyond the task. The blue lightening suggested firm control and full-on intensity. How could he have improved so rapidly in such a short time? What motivation had he taken hold of in his absence?

Heihachi walked over and picked up his unconscious son. He didn't drag him as he usually did when Kazuya was unable to walk on his own. He didn't even leave Kazuya in the hallway which had turned into his pseudo-bedroom. Heihachi traveled all the way to Kazuya's room and placed his son on his bed. It was a little much to expect Heihachi to actually tuck the other in—he simply closed the door and went about his business. This was the closest to intimacy that Heihachi would ever get with his son.

Kazuya had shown him something unexpected: talent. It only meant that Heihachi would grill him even harder since he now knew the true extent of his capabilities. Today had only been a hint of it, but Heihachi intended to draw it out even more.

/

"Again!" Heihachi barked at a perturbed Kazuya who had been punching into the sand filled bag all day.

His knuckles were beginning to redden with overuse.

"You're not putting much thought into your punches anymore. You think you can slack off just because it's a simple 'punch'? A true fighter puts everything he has into each and every attack no matter what it is."

Kazuya took his time with his next punch as he pulled his arm back. It was either now or never—he'd either break something and have to deal with the splitting pain or strike the bag open. His fist shot forth fiercely and thankfully the former occurred. A spray of sand grit flew into his face and he spit some of it out as the bag quickly emptied its heavy content.

"Good enough," Heihachi said. "We're through for today."

Heihachi had seen the short spark around his hand when he struck and that was all he had been waiting for. He wanted to make sure that what he had seen before hadn't been a simple fluke and Kazuya had just proven that it wasn't on this day and on the days that proceeded. Heihachi encouraged his son to put his all into every attack and he taught him more and more combinations. If there was one thing that Heihachi could say about his son, it would be that he was quite nimble and this was impart due to his body type. Despite having him eat so much on a regular basis, Kazuya hadn't gained much weight. He always appeared to be lightly muscled as if his strength had not increased in the least.

They'd be at it all day now. It seemed whatever business that Heihachi had been tending to in the past was set aside. For some reason, however, Heihachi still wasn't satisfied. Even if there was the occasional crackle of blue electricity, it never got to the same intensity that Heihachi had seen before. Kazuya couldn't understand his father's frustration, but he knew that he had to work harder.

"This isn't the best that you can actually do," Heihachi accused his son one day, "Why do you continue to hold back?"

Kazuya looked up at him in confusion. He really had no answer for his question.

"Perhaps you lack the proper motivation," Heihachi continued.

"I don't know what you're talking—

"Again!" Heihachi interjected.

Presently there was a large punching bag in front of him and Kazuya again went through the series of fist lunges and kicks he had learned yesterday. Had Kazuya been an impatient child or one eager to advance his training, he would have complained about the monotony, but Kazuya was none of these things. In reality, the only motivation he had towards fighting was the fact that his father expected him to be a good fighter. There was no personal connection. He had no idea if he liked or disliked Heihachi's constant drills. The only thing which Kazuya drew motivation from was his sense of duty. He believed that whatever his father told him to do that he was obligated to do it.

As he pounded away at that punching bag, he wondered if things would ever change. Was this what his life was going to consist of? Would Mom be alright with the direction his life was headed? He didn't have the strength to try to answer those questions not even when he was left to himself in his room.

Night time had come once again and as usual—if he made it to his room which he did that night—he made himself comfortable under the heavy blankets. He would toss and turn into various positions and when he ended up never finding one that was comfortable enough since he was always sore all over, he simply fall asleep in the usual sprawled on his stomach position.

For the past few nights, Kazuya would always hear a sound akin to a rock hitting his window. Consistently, he would dismiss them since his body would no longer want to move. At some point the quiet "pings" on his window would end and hours later the sun would rise once again. This night was a little different, however. Having nothing better to do, Kazuya had decided if he would test and see if there really was something hitting his window so earlier that day in the morning he had simply opened it. Surely whatever was making the sound would fall through instead of bounce off.

He heard absolutely nothing that night besides a brisk wind that caused him to pull the covers even tighter. Just when he was about to write the entire situation down as his mind playing tricks on him, he heard something drop onto the floor—at least he'd have something to look forward to the next morning. There was no way he would bother with it now.

"meow."

Kazuya peered from under his covers towards the rather close sound. He could barely make out the figure that sat on the ground before him.

"Are you…?"

"meow"

Suddenly, Kazuya felt a very light weight on his back—the cat had managed to jump as far. He felt its small paws moving and he couldn't help but giggle since he was actually quite ticklish.

"Would you get off, kitty?"

But the cat ignored him and continued its pacing until he found a comfortable position at which point he curled himself into a tight bundle and began to purr.

"Well, alright, but I have no idea why you're so comfortable—I haven't even petted you."

Kazuya felt the fuzzy bundle move its tail a little as if in response. The cat might have already been asleep. Kazuya, who was virtually immobile, simply followed in suit.

Unfortunately, this was one of the few nights when Kazuya overslept and missed dawn. Of course, he wasn't aware of this fact until Heihachi came barging into his room. Just the sound of his footsteps sent Kazuya on guard and he sat straight up in bed as if an alarm had gone off. He had momentarily forgotten about the napping cat on his back and he hissed at the sudden commotion.

"Extracurricular activities again?" His father accused at the sight of the cat and open window. "So it's true, you really haven't been putting in the full effort I keep asking for."

As if to add fuel to the fire, the cat jumped into Kazuya lap and made itself comfortable.

"Scram. Get lost already," Kazuya said pushing him off his lap, "Run."

It seemed that the cat seemed to understand the word "run" and scrambled away, but stopped at the windowsill and sat steadily staring at the other with its gray eyes. Heihachi who had decided right then and there that he would simply push the intruding cat off stopped in his tracks when the cat took one powerful leap through the window landing on the grass below. Kazuya scrambled over to the window and watched the cat run off towards the woods.

"You missed the time, boy," Heihachi said in threatening tones.

Kazuya turned slowly around to his father with a fearful expression. He automatically went into defense when his father lunged at him. Initially he was able to fend off some of his father's attacks, but it soon became a one-sided match and Kazuya wounded up crumbled on the floor.

"Since you seem to like that cat more than your own training, I'll let you two be together," Heihachi said as he lifted the other by the cuff of shirt and launched him through the window.

While flying in the air was exhilarating to Kazuya, the impact was the part he always hated if it was a hard one. He landed awkwardly on his leg and let out a yelp. For the longest time, he dared not moved until he was fully aware of all the injuries he had received. He carefully turned over off his stomach so he could sit up. His left leg was twisted the wrong way, but he was able to move his right leg a little closer. Since he felt the excruciating pain traversing through his leg, he instinctively knew that it wasn't dislocated—he silently wished that it was so that he could avoid all the headache of feeling it.

He sat there for a while quietly, but then he simply laid back on the grass when he realized that his father was not coming. He laid there all day in a state of immobilizing pain and muteness. The dizziness which began somewhere near midday must have been due to the fact that he had eaten nothing that day. He hardly responded to his father's presence which he felt just as the day was ending. Wordlessly, Heihachi bent down and took ahold of his left leg and with a quick twist of his wrist he cracked it back into place…much to Kazuya's immense horror who hollered out into the night.

"Enough!" Heihachi shouted back in an overwhelming voice. "It's done already."

Kazuya bit his tongue as he tried to hold back his screams. Now there was just throbbing pain, but there was no way he was going to risk standing on it.

"It has occurred to me that in order to get you to fight at your best, you're going to need a push—a real push. Fear is what motivates you, isn't it?" Heihachi questioned the other.

"No, that's not it—it's you. I do it all for you. It's just that…some days are better than others. Some days, I really do feel invincible, but most days I feel like nothing."

"When are you ever going to learn? Strength doesn't depend on whimsical things like emotions. It doesn't change from day to day—a true fighter relies on their own resolve to give them strength each and every time in order to best the other."

"I just wanna' be a good fighter…so you won't be so mad all the time."

"Weakling, that isn't enough—you have no real reason to fight, do you?"

Kazuya didn't like his tone because he had never heard it coming from his father before. When he lifted up by his shirt, Kazuya didn't know what to think, but something didn't feel right. He closed his eyes as he gathered the courage to say the question that was on his mind.

"Where are you taking me?" Kazuya demanded to know.

When Heihachi didn't answer, Kazuya grew frantic and he began to struggle in his grasp. There was no hope of him escaping, but it was an instinctive reaction.

"Where are you taking me?" Kazuya cried again.

He peered out into the darkness, but could make out nothing until they stopped moving.

"Look around, do you know where we are, kid?" Heihachi asked.

The darkness was so thick that he could make out nothing. Heihachi held his arm out and suddenly Kazuya sensed where they were standing as a blast of wind hit his face and heard the sound of rushing water.

"The cliff…this is Mom's favorite spot."

"Yes, the view _is_ quite beautiful here, but it will serve another purpose today."

"What?"

"You really are just an empty shell with no substance whatsoever. What you did that day was a simple fluke—your talent is constantly kept at bay due to your own ridiculous weakness. It's time you learned what a true Mishima is!"

When Heihachi pulled his arm back, Kazuya began to cry out in alarm, but his screams were all ignored as his father tossed him forth as one would a rag doll if it has lost its importance. Kazuya could hear his father's voice on the wind.

"Use your own will; find your own way back and you will discover your own strength!"


	5. Conversion

AN: Let me start by saying that I have really enjoyed reading the reviews: **NatsuXIII **and **Sarah Jones**. Sarah, somewhere along the way, I'll have a chapter completely dedicated to Jun and Kazuya, but that won't be for a while. And so without further ado, enter Devil.

Chapter 5: Conversion

Kazuya couldn't quite put his mind around what was happening to him. There was no ground beneath him, only the crashing wind around him. He felt a mixture of exhilaration, fear, and disbelief. They all felt the same to him at that moment. He was so much in shock that he had no voice with which to cry out any longer. At some point, he simply closed his eyes as he waited for the inevitable impact. There was no time to panic about his ensuing death as it breathed chillingly down his neck. There was no time to wonder if death would be quick and painless or long and excruciating. All these questions would be answered in a short moment.

And that moment seemed to come immediately. A sharp, jagged rock caught him slicing through his chest as if it were made out of butter rather than flesh and bones. Perhaps one could say he was lucky for not falling into the rushing water below and being swept underwater to drown. His impact had been so swift that initially he could not feel the extent of his injury. The rock had not ripped all the way through so he hung on the edge of it swaying in the strong winds like a piece of loose clothing.

It was only when he tried to move that he began to realize his predicament, but the only thing that was permitted to enter his mind was survival. He gripped the gray rock with both of his hands and began to push against it trying to wrench his body free from the penetrating object. His teeth gritted as the pain began to escalate more and more and the surface became increasingly sticky. Kazuya had no idea how long it took for him to break free of the rock as dizziness began to set in. Luckily, his hands still gripped the rock or else he would have finished his fall to the rapidly moving water. His grip was deathly hard. His fear of dying was so acute that his hands simply would not loosen from its life-giving grasp no matter what. Using his arms, he pulled the rest of his body on top of the rock.

He couldn't stop himself from coughing as he crawled forth slowly. He had no idea where he was going, but he found at some point that he was on a larger, flatter surface after crawling in the same direction for some time. And he continued to cough each time bringing up mouthfuls of his precious blood. His body decided to give out completely as the bleeding continued profusely from his wound and he closed his eyes expectantly. Agonizing pain throbbed throughout as he struggled to breathe.

"Are you really content to die?"

Kazuya heard the strange voice from somewhere above him. No one could have been down there with him so he assumed that he had somehow slipped into madness and was now hearing voices that were not really there. Since there was no one around to point and criticize, he responded despite himself.

"I have no choice," Kazuya managed.

"What if you were given one?"

"It would be a lie. No one can save me…"

"Oh, but the choice is a very real one. Don't you want to survive another day?"

"No."

"Don't you want to repay your father?"

"A son's duty…is to follow his…father's wishes. I have failed…My strength…I have none."

"To think you would want to give up so easily."

"I'll meet Mom again…"

"Isn't there something tying you to this world? Didn't you have dreams?"

"No…no dreams. Nothing."

"And Jun?"

"…she'll find a better person."

"When is it going to hit you? Your father has tried to murder you because he wants no more to do with you—he's never wanted anything to do with you in the first place."

"No!" Kazuya cried out, but this outburst caused more blood to spurt from his mouth.

By this time, Kazuya was very familiar with the taste of blood. A ghostly apparition floated near Kazuya in utter frustration because its plans were being ruined by pure stubbornness. It had chosen this moment specifically because he knew Kazuya would be at his most vulnerable. Its dream of world domination was as old as time and through the centuries it had chosen the wrong host over and over again. Now he knew exactly what he wanted and he had found those qualities in Kazuya—he would achieve his plans or more accurately, he would obtain his goal through Kazuya.

"Silly child, do you think your death will change anything? What impact have you left on the world? What exactly are you leaving behind?"

"…maybe in another life…"

It was just his luck that the person who seemed a perfect match for him was also some type of saint. He'd have to change that. The entity was known for manipulating one's thoughts, but within reason. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to trick Kazuya into hating his father or at the very least feel some disgust towards him.

"Kazuya. Don't you dislike your father? He killed your mother."

"No…"

"Yes. He thought of you as a piece of property which he must shape up for his own gain."

"No."

"Yes. Your father—

"Stop it; I don't want to hear anymore!" Kazuya shouted, "You know nothing of my father, you…you thing!"

For a moment, Kazuya lost consciousness after so much activity, but the brisk wind which knocked into him once again brought him back out of it.

"I will not stop."

"You…bastard!"

"You want to kill your father!"

"No—

"You hate him!"

"No…I…"

The dark entity pounced on his uncertainty. He had gotten all the edge that he needed. Uncertainty and frustration were tools that it could use even if they were towards things unrelated to what he was saying. Helplessness always begets frustration and ignorance to one's own feelings always begets uncertainty.

"What are you doing…?"

Kazuya no longer understood his own thoughts and he kept flashing in and out of consciousness.

"I know your true goal," the entity said steadily, "You want to kill your father. Is that not right?"

It waited for Kazuya's answer, but it never came.

"Is that not right?" the entity yelled out. "Say it!" it commanded with unrelenting force.

"I…"

"Yes?" it enticed.

"I…I want him to pay! I want him to die!"

"Yes, you do. And you would do anything to achieve that end."

"Yes."

"Then make the final decision. Allow me to take your soul."

Kazuya had grown unconscious again with his brows creased in utter confusion. The entity could only hope that he would pull out of it again.

"Allow me to take your soul…and I will let you live," the entity elaborated with a hint of desperation in its tone.

"Yes…" Kazuya finally said with a cough, "You can have it…I've never had…any use for it."

/

Kazuya found himself staring up at blue skies. For some reason, all the events that had taken place yesterday or sometime before—he wasn't certain—remained vivid in his mind. But it had to be a dream…it had to be. His father would never actually throw him off a cliff; he always had his best interest at heart. The insistent voice had been nothing more than a hallucination brought on by a rampant imagination. He was here staring up at a cloudless sky because he had finished training early. Besides, he still felt the familiar soreness from before…but there was something else.

He slowly reached for his chest and he felt it. A long, diagonal scar that went right across—it had not been there before. Then his eyes grew wide with fear as he shot straight up when realization suddenly took over.

"No…oh, God, what have I done?"

"Nothing worth dwelling on."

"Huh? Where…?"

Kazuya could slowly make out a shadowy mist gathering in front of him.

"I have just saved you from certain death. Show a little gratitude."

"What are you?"

"I am known as Devil to the vast majority—you'll have to suffice with that nickname."

"I should be dead," Kazuya said with disbelief, "Reverse everything—I'll take back the pain…mistakes…everything!"

"Well, aren't you quite the masochist. It's too late for that sort of talk. Maybe you should have thought things over before you accepted my help so hastily."

"I…I don't know what I was thinking."

"I know."

"If you've really taken my soul…then why don't I feel any different?"

"Taking over one's soul isn't always a simple thing. There has been a lot of resistance, but that is to be expected, I suppose."

"Then…I still have a chance."

"Ha! Please, don't fool yourself. The decision has already been made."

"For as long as I live, you'll never have your way."

"You're serious, aren't you?"

"Very."

Devil was quiet for a long while as it pondered over the situation. "This could be a problem."

The shadowy mist advanced upon Kazuya and brought about a temporary resting state.

"This is going to be harder than I thought. In fact impossible if I don't do something drastic right now. Kazuya…if I wasn't specifically looking for you, I would not bother with putting in so much effort. There are people out there who would have accepted me without question and their souls would have been easy to control."

Kazuya's soul, Devil realized, shined so brightly that even for a human he was abnormal. Devil had to examine it carefully to pinpoint the presence of evil. It brought this evil forth and effectively destroyed all that was good. Before, he had not been able to do this. However, when Kazuya had uttered those magic words, he had gained enough authority to do as he pleased with his soul. This was in no way a permanent fix—Devil knew the human soul to be infuriatingly resilient, but for now this would have to do.

"Now wake."

His eyes slowly opened and again he was presented with a bright sky, but he immediately grew bored with it and turned his attention away.

"We have to leave here," Devil said promptly.

Silently, Kazuya stood up. "To where?"

"Away from your father. You have to get stronger. I will make you stronger. Right now, you're much too weak to ever hope to take him on."

Kazuya began to walk in no particular direction. By nightfall, he found himself in a thickly wooded area and when he was tired, he simply laid down on the ground and promptly fell asleep. The next morning, Kazuya stared blankly at his surroundings and thought that it seemed vaguely familiar.

"I'm hungry," Kazuya said to the air.

This time he simply heard Devil's voice in his mind without any visual aid. "It looks like you're out of luck. Do you see any food around here?"

"This place…"

Kazuya climbed to his feet slowly and went in a direction that drew him forward. It wasn't long until he found himself in the meadow that Jun had shown him years ago. And there was the makeshift shelter. He walked to it and stood there as if expecting something to happen.

"meow," came the cat that now cowered inside of it.

Kazuya bent down and reached into the shelter. The cat avoided his hand like the plague, but Kazuya eventually found the tail and grabbed hold of it.

"Come here…kitty."

He dragged the cat forth despite its hissing and scratching until it was in broad daylight. Kazuya held it up by the tail and it dangled loosely in the air. The cat's paws still clambered at the air and Kazuya finding this amusing simply watched for a while.

"You'll tire yourself out, kitty."

The cat continued to hiss.

"Let me put you out of your misery…"

In a sudden spurt of strength, he slammed the cat into the ground so viciously that it died instantly. It was then that Kazuya was aware of another presence. His eyes quickly made contact with the person only to find that it was Jun. The only thing she could do was stare at him with big, glassy eyes.

"Wha-what did you do?" Jun whispered weakly.

Her eyes were trained on Kazuya's now. Despite the force of the strange apprehension she felt, she rushed at him in a manic manner and continued to pound balled fists onto his chest as if she was frantically knocking on a door. But it all stopped when Kazuya finally retaliated with one quick punch to the guts. She fell down in utter pain and the tears began to flow.

"You should leave," Kazuya said to the whimpering heap before him.

It took her a moment to respond as she tried to wipe away her tears. She waited until she was sure her voice was steady before she spoke. Then she gathered her courage as she lifted her face to look into Kazuya's eyes once again. Her brows furrowed in mystification as she began to realize that she could no longer read them. Some piece of him seemed inactive…even dead. Maybe he was upset about something.

"Kazuya, what happened? Something happened, didn't it?"

He only stood there silently. She could feel some other presence there and it was beginning to become suffocating.

"What happened? Please tell me. What did your father do?"

"My father?" Kazuya said with a grin, "It is because of him that I have something to look forward to. Before, there was nothing, but—how did he put it?—now there is something that 'ties me to this world'."

Kazuya still held the dead cat in his hands as he looked at her. She seemed at a loss of words as if something was stopping her from speaking. He turned then when she remained quiet.

"If you never meet me again—you should count yourself lucky."

It wasn't until he disappeared from sight that she was even able to move again. There was no doubt about it—there had been an evil presence at work. This was no longer the Kazuya she had met before. Somehow, he was different and she only knew that it had something to do with his father. Jun rose to her feet and scrambled all the way through the woods back to her house.

Meanwhile, Kazuya returned to the meadow.

"Do you even know how to cook that thing?" Devil asked in Kazuya's mind.

Kazuya studied the motionless cat which he had lain on the ground beside him. "Good point."

Then he began to claw at the ground as if he were digging for lost treasure.

"This is pointless," Devil hissed angrily.

But the comment was largely ignored as he continued to dig. When it was large enough, he simply tossed the carcass in and covered it back up again.

"If you were smart, you might have asked that Jun girl for some food," Devil teased.

"It's too late for that. I don't want her anywhere near me."

Kazuya stood up once again and started off in another arbitrary direction. His ears heard a steady trickle of water and he followed the sound until he found himself at a stream. He didn't stop to wonder if the water was safe to drink from before he did just that. When he had his fill he laid down beside the stream.

"Devil, whatever you have planned, why don't you start already?"

"I have."

"Right," Kazuya replied in a belittling tone.

"Since you're in such a rush…"

He cried out suddenly when a slicing pain tore throughout his body. Kazuya turned his head to look at his arm—bluish veins which were painfully visible began to etch across his skin. The same phenomenon occurred with his other arm and then his legs and body. By then, he was too worn out to shout any longer and simply gritted his teeth as things progressed.

"Devil?" Kazuya asked forcibly through his teeth.

"It's almost over," Devil spoke smoothly.

His head was the last to be attacked and it hurt the most. Kazuya could only lie still as he grimaced at what felt like his brain exploding.

"This is a very necessary process, Kazuya. I must fully assimilate with your body."

"Assimi…late?" Kazuya managed.

And just as suddenly it had begun, it ended. Kazuya could finally breathe freely again.

"Now," Devil whispered with excitement.

"What are you doing?"

But Kazuya found that he no longer had a voice of his own. He was staring out into the world through a red haze. Wings sprouted from his back and his skin tone changed completely. A devilish tail swished back and forth as glowering red eyes stared emotionlessly. Devil looked down and noted his claws that were on his hands and feet. And there was the third eye.

"This is why I chose you," Devil spoke in his otherworldly voice, "Now I can have my own form. I am no longer a simple formless mist—I am a _true _being."

Devil took off into the sky flapping its bat-like wings.

"I previously scouted an abandoned building where you would stay and there you will train to your heart's content fueled by the hate of your father. Understand?"

Devil sensed the other's acceptance and continued soaring through the sky.

/

AN: A chibi Devil? Hmm…Don't worry, Kazuya never actually _sees_ what he looks like so it's still somewhat cannon that Tekken 2 would be first time he actually looks at him. And those who are looking for more Jun…she won't be in the next few chapters, but she'll be back at some point after the next story arc [which is pretty integral].


	6. Kazuya's Misadventure

AN: NatsuXIII: I'll probably end up writing all of Kazuya's story, but this story will cover all the events leading up to the first Tekken. Then I'll simply make sequels—I can see this one being quite a bit of chapters (20ish).

/

Chapter 6: Kazuya's Misadventure

It was indeed an abandoned building; it also used to be a gym and numerous old sandbags hung from the ceiling. Kazuya would wake up at the crack of dawn each day in order to pound the living daylights out of each and every one of them. Just as his father had done for him, he practiced on various combinations—and he eventually began to branch off from what he had learned and created others that were all his own albeit heavily influenced from what he already knew. He never thought he was finished until his body stopped responding and he fell into an unconscious heap.

As for food problems, Devil thought of a simple solution—steal. Kazuya would steal food, clothes, and training equipment from the nearby town. He did this so often that he became quite an expert at it. When he wanted to clean his self, he would either fly all the way back to the river he had found before or use one of the bathrooms in town. Kazuya preferred to not make himself known in the town so he would more often than not tell Devil to take him back to the river.

There was also an orphanage that he kept getting more and more curious about each time he snuck into town at night. Each time Kazuya thought of it, Devil would dissuade him commenting that such a place would only serve as a hindrance to his true goal.

Kazuya developed a certain routine for himself—90 percent of it being training. He would wake up, wash off, eat, train until sundown, fall asleep (or unconscious), wake up hours later, eat, and fall back to sleep for the rest of the night. Sometimes he might skip the eating part in the morning and become extremely ravenous by nightfall. Sometimes he might skip the washing off part and become so disgusted with himself that he'd spend hours at the river. If there was one thing he made sure to have a supply of, it was soap and face towels.

One day, during the time he was training, he decided to try something new after his previous failure of finding any suitable weights in the local store—he was already lifting fifty pounds with ease. He found a climbable tree some distance away from the abandoned gym and made his way to the nearest thickest branch that he thought could hold his weight. From there, he began doing pull-ups—an activity that Heihachi had never once had Kazuya do, preferring instead to use weights. This way he'd be forced to lift up his entire weight, which seemed quite heavy after Kazuya tried pulling himself up a couple of times. It was also an excuse to be outside instead of being in the old, musty building. Kazuya found that he could not do many pull ups and this excited him. There lied a new challenge. So he came out every day afterwards.

This was also when his anonymity was finally breached. There in the trees, content to remain hidden, was a child from the orphanage. He wore large, dark-rimmed glasses and noticeably had no front teeth. Because he had speech problems, he would spend his days alone in the forest where others couldn't make fun of him. That was when he had come upon the strange youth who came out without fail to simply do pull ups. The child, named Benjamin, watched how the other struggled day after day on that branch even beyond the point of exhaustion. There was that intense determination in his eyes that warned Benjamin to keep his distance, but he couldn't help but watch.

It wasn't long until Benjamin discovered that he was some kind of fighter. He had followed Kazuya one day back to his abandoned building and spied through the glassless window Kazuya's obsession. Benjamin couldn't understand the other's devotion, but he found it to be intriguing. Of course, Benjamin was bound to get caught since he came out there every day and when that day came, Benjamin wished that he had simply stayed back at the orphanage with the familiar attack of insults.

Benjamin had made too much noise as he had tried to peer through the same window again to look on Kazuya's progress. When Kazuya had paused and turned towards him, he had fallen down in crippling fear. He should have run when he had the chance, but his legs would no longer work as he closed his eyes. Benjamin heard the crunch of approaching footsteps and whimpered despite himself. When it stopped, he had no idea what to do next. Kazuya said nothing for a long time which encouraged Benjamin to open his eyes—he wished he hadn't. There staring at him were deadpan eyes that hinted at the presence of something dark and sinister.

"You. Leave now," Kazuya said when he thought he had the other's attention.

"A-alright!" Benjamin squeaked as he scrambled to his feet.

"Wait," Kazuya said at once just as Benjamin was about to take off. He waited for the other to turn around, "Where do you come from?"

"Just…j-just an orphanage…it's n-near here, y-you know, and—

"Yes, I've heard of it," he interjected shutting down Benjamin's rambling. "What is it like?"

"L-like?"

"Yes."

"Well," Benjamin began with a shuffle of his feet, "I-it's, a-alright. Th-there's other kids to-to play with and there's f-food and…"

"Are there teachers?"

"Wh-what?"

"School. Is there some type of school?"

"Y-yes…there's school. I-I mean i-it's a joke—

"Do you learn things? Things that are essential to live in the real world."

"I-I don't know. I-I s-supose."

"You've been spying on me and so now you know where to find me. Tell anyone of my being here and I will destroy you, understand?"

Benjamin nodded. "Is it okay…if I-I asked y-your name?"

"No, it isn't and I don't care to learn yours. Never come back here."

"O-Okay. I-I'm l-leaving r-r-r-right now."

"Weakling," Kazuya muttered as the other ran off as if his life depended on it—maybe it did.

But Benjamin came back the next day quite early in the morning—at least he had courage even if it could be mistaken as stupidity.

"Hey! I d-decided to t-tell you m-my name! I-It's Benjamin!" he shouted through the entrance.

Kazuya had just been in the process of punching his first sandbag for the day when he heard the intruding voice. His eyes flashed towards the entrance. Then he made his way to the front of the building so that he wouldn't have to shout.

"Go away."

"B-but…y-you're a-all alone and—

Benjamin was unprepared for the shove that Kazuya dished out on him in an instant. He was knocked unceremoniously to the ground

"Ow!"

"Go away. I have no need for interruption."

It was as if they were locked in a staring contest when Benjamin found that he could do nothing more but look.

"You must be hard of hearing."

"S-sorry. I-I w-won't d-disturb you. I-I j-just want to w-watch."

"What for?"

"W-well, I-I th-think th-that's it's i-incredible wh-whatever it is y-you're doing…" Benjamin trailed at the end of his sentence when he noticed that the other was no longer paying attention.

In fact he turned and began walking away from him. Benjamin could hear him muttering to himself as if he was more interested in having a conversation with himself than an actual person.

"Um…h-hey…I-I d-don't know y-you're name."

Benjamin stood up and began to follow the other, but stopped in his tracks when Kazuya turned to him again.

"Why are you still here? You must have a death wish."

"I-I p-promise n-not t-to bother y-you."

"No! I don't want to do it!" he shouted out suddenly with clenched hands.

Benjamin was caught off guard by this. Not only was he confused, he began to back up from him slowly. He watched as one of his hands reached for his forehead as if in pain. Obviously he was from the look on his face and then Benjamin was certain when the other dropped to his knees. He noticed that the other's hand scrabbled at the ground so intently that his fingertips began to bleed.

"Wh-what's wrong?" Benjamin asked with concern.

"Just…go already," the other said hoarsely, "Why are you still here?" he demanded.

"N-no! I'm—I c-can't l-leave you like th-this."

"You idiot. Do you want to die so easily?"

Benjamin could no longer see the other's face as he continued to bow down with hunched shoulders, but when he looked up again, Benjamin was presented with glowering crimson eyes.

"Wh-what is this?"

"I'll kill you, nuisance. You know too much as it is," the other said in a voice that sent shivers down his back.

This time Benjamin did take off as Kazuya scrambled to his feet and give chase. He ran for dear life through the wooded area, but after a few moments of running he realized that he had lost him. He could, however, hear the other's shouts. At first he couldn't make them out, but when he crept closer…

"I didn't agree to this! What good would it be to kill him off! It's just…it's too much attention! There's only one thing I want to do!"

Benjamin jumped back when a loud boom thundered from above. Immediately afterwards the rain flooded down from the skies. Despite wanting to stay, he had to go back to the orphanage before the weather got too bad to even move in. He could no longer hear Kazuya's voice as the rain drowned out every other sound.

Kazuya sat down on bent knees on the now muddy ground and looked towards the firmament with closed eyes. His hair which was naturally pointed hung down in the heavy downfall. Devil's ranting had become strangely quiet and all he could do was breathe a sigh of relief. In any case, he was sure that he had scared off the nosy child so there was no point in debating whether he should be killed or not.

Visibility was virtually zero as Kazuya finally looked around himself. He thought of moving about in utter blindness, but found the folly in this. He would have to wait. And he waited for hours upon hours before the weather began to calm. At some point, when there was merely strong winds and reoccurring thunder and lightning, Kazuya made his way back.

He had no large towels and the building itself was soaked and windswept. The corners were the only parts that was halfway decent so he huddled up there. He couldn't stop the involuntary shivering as the wind continued to whip through. While he dried off quick enough because of it, he was also deathly cold. It was a wonder that he ever fell asleep.

/

The only thing Benjamin heard as he stood in front of the entrance the next day was sneezing and sniffling. The morning was bright and sunny in complete contrast to last night.

"Umm, h-hello! I-I'm here a-again!"

When Benjamin received no response even after a couple of minutes, he decided to step in. He went towards where he heard the sounds emitting which was in the nearest corner to the right. The other had taken off his shirt because it was soaking wet, but he had not been willing to part with his pants or shoes. He sat in a position that suggested exhaustion and boredom all at the same time.

"You again," Kazuya stated, but he didn't bother lifting his head to look towards him at the moment.

"A-are y-you alright?"

"After seeing what you saw yesterday, you want to ask me that? You still haven't told me—why are you here?"

"B-because, I-I thought y-you wanted s-some company."

"Let me make this clear: I do not need company."

"Y-yes y-you do. E-everyone does."

"I'm not everyone."

"Y-you're the o-only person wh-who will t-talk to me."

"That's kinda pathetic considering."

He sneezed then which was followed with the inevitable sniffling.

"I-I could b-bring you m-medicine."

Kazuya was quiet for a while before he answered. "From where?"

"F-from the n-nurse."

"I find it hard to believe that you can simply walk in and take medicine."

"O-of course n-not, I'd h-have to steal it."

"Forget it."

"B-but I-I'm willing."

"Fine, if you really can't resist."

"I-I'll get it t-tonight."

Kazuya stretched out with a yawn. "You're not going to simply leave, are you?" he asked lazily.

Benjamin shook his head no.

Now Kazuya was looking directly at the other, but Benjamin had to look away when he did this.

"Y-you s-still haven't t-told me your n-name."

"It's Kazuya," he said without hesitation. "I'm going to sleep now so even if you do decide to lounge around here, you won't be talking to anyone."

Kazuya sneezed once again and sniffled before dropping off in a rather short amount of time.

"Um…Ka-Kazuya? W-well, alright."

Benjamin stood up when he knew he would get nothing else out of him. Having nothing better to do, he walked around to check things out. This was the first time since he had first discovered this building two days ago that he could look around without feeling like he was intruding. Kazuya had, more or less, invited him in. He noticed that some of the punching bags were in bad condition. One of them seemed so demolished that Benjamin couldn't take his eyes off of it for a while—he wondered if this was the work of Kazuya; he hoped it wasn't. Then he noticed a cabinet that seemed in use because its door was actually closed. When he opened it, he took note of the food supply which was in it along with soap, clean rags, two folded shirts and an extra pair of sneakers and pants. There was two loaves of bread, can food, bottles of water, bananas, peaches, and plums—not exactly the kind of food one would eat if they were sick.

An idea came to his mind; maybe he could bring soup with him as well. From the looks of things, there weren't any dishes or silverware so he'd have to bring some. It would be a task and a half though, to not only find a plastic container to put soup into, but also steal a spoon along with it. He also had to find the medicine. He was in no way a good thief, but he had quite a bit of luck on his side and he had pity from the adults since they knew of Benjamin's mistreatment from other kids. Even if he got caught, he probably wouldn't get into much trouble.

Near the time when dinner was served in the evening, Benjamin decided it was time he left. He looked back on Kazuya who had put back on his shirt and curled into a ball while Benjamin had not been looking. It seemed that he would sleep the whole day away, but Benjamin supposed that that was a good thing. At least he wasn't one of those people who became so obsessive about something that they would slip into the realm of stupidity by ignoring the obstacles in their way.

Kazuya was left to himself for the time being and it was as if Benjamin's presence had been like a dream catcher. Not long after his departure, he began to dream of things that was of someone else's mind; Devil's mind. This was one of those times when Devil's experiences would spill over into Kazuya's knowledge—one of the many effects of "assimilation" so Devil called it. Of course there was nothing good to see there in his visions; Kazuya was forced to relive them. It was like watching an especially violent horror movie without the ability to hide under covers or close one's eyes. He couldn't open his eyes to break free of them for some reason they would not open. In the end, he simply stopped resisting and allowed the images to flash through his mind.

Such was happening when Benjamin finally returned with the medicine, plastic container filled with semi-hot soup, a spoon, and also the added benefit of a blanket. He was glad that he had thought of it at the last minute when he noticed the other shivering involuntarily. He was lying on his back by this time.

"H-Hey, Kazuya, I b-brought the m-medicine," Benjamin said while shaking the other to wakefulness.

"Just leave me alone awhile longer. I just want to sleep forever…"

Benjamin was alarmed at how weak his voice sounded, "I b-brought s-some soup. E-Eat some."

Kazuya hadn't so much as opened his eyes the entire time. Benjamin thought he might entice the other with the smell of food so he opened the top to the container and placed it near the other. Kazuya allowed one eye to open when his senses was flooded with the scent of food. It was then that he realized that he hadn't eaten anything all day—then again, he had not wanted to. But dying was not an option…

"Why are you being so nice?"

"L-Like I s-aid, it's n-not good to b-be alone. I c-could f-feed it—

"No way," Kazuya interrupted.

This time he really did make an effort to sit up if only to consume the soup. He had no taste buds at the moment so he was spared the horrid taste of it. There was something oddly familiar about the act of eating something when he wasn't remotely hungry, but he did not complain at all. When he was finished, he tossed the emptied container back to Benjamin who had not been prepared for it and he promptly went back to his previous position.

"H-Hey! Th-That wasn't v-very nice," Benjamin exclaimed, but his words fell on deaf ears. "W-Wait a m-minute, y-you still haven't t-taken your m-medicine. H-Hey!" Benjamin said shaking the other again to wakefulness.

"Leave me alone."

"B-But…th-the m-medicine."

Bemjamin suddenly felt Kazuya's eyes on him.

"Where?" Kazuya demanded.

Benjamin was already pouring it into a small cup. He then handed it to the other with the correct dosage. Soon Benjamin was being tossed the empty cup much to his annoyance, but he decided not to make a fuss about it this time. He stayed for a while longer until he was sure the other wouldn't wake up too easily. There was still that blanket and Benjamin sensed that Kazuya would protest to any further assistance. Luckily, Kazuya hadn't noticed anything or else he would have questioned what Benjamin had planned to do. He packed everything up into a plastic bag and then proceeded to unfolding the large, dry blanket. He held his breath as he then placed it over him. As soon as he could, he put a good distance between them just in case, but nothing drastic happened. He only did as he usually did when there were covers—he yawned and pulled them closer. Whether this was by pure instinct or some acceptance towards Benjamin was hard to tell, but he didn't want to press his luck. Benjamin left soon after back to the orphanage leaving also the medicine.

At least for the next few days, Benjamin continued to visit with soup until Kazuya began to regain his energy.

"I don't understand why someone who can fit into the normal world, want to waste so much of his time here with someone who is clearly disturbed and unappreciative."

"I-In case y-you h-haven't noticed, I-I have a sp-speech problem—the w-world doesn't a-accept that."

"Why you want to spend so much time on every other word is beyond me."

"I-It's c-called stuttering."

"It makes no difference to me," Kazuya replied nonchalantly, "I don't see the point in putting so much effort into saying stuff. Think of how much time you're wasting," he said with a grin.

"I-I can't h-help i-it!" Benjamin exclaimed.

"Right."

"I-It's true."

"I bet if someone put a gun to your head and told you the next time you stuttered, you'd be shot, you'd stop then."

"I g-guess I'd h-have to d-die."

Kazuya sneezed again when he said this, "You'd be surprised. With the right kind of motivation, you could find yourself doing things you never dreamed you could."

Benjamin wondered if the other was being overly optimistic, but that didn't seem to fit.

"Even things you shouldn't be doing or things you promised to never do," Kazuya continued with a darker tone.

"Kazuya…?"

"You sitting there saying 'you can't help it' or 'there's just no way you can change' is ridiculous."

Benjamin didn't like the agitated look on the other's face. "I-I was b-born like th-this."

"So? You think that means anything?" Kazuya said standing up after this

Benjamin looked up with a puzzled expression wondering what the other would do next.

"Let's try something new," Kazuya said advancing upon the other.

"Wh-What…? W-Wait!"

In a moment, Kazuya had lifted the other slightly in the air from his front collar with surprising ease. "The next time you even try to stutter, you'll get one punch each time—and by the way it looks, you'll be my punching bag."

Benjamin was too afraid to even talk and he feared what might happen if he did so.

"That's cheating, you know. You have to _say_ something."

He shook his head no.

"Well then, it looks like you're not even going to give yourself a chance."

Before he knew it, he felt his stomach cave in under incredible pressure and he was released to fall on the floor in pain.

"K-Kazu—

Another strike went for his face before he could even finish the sentence. Then tears were pooling from his eyes.

"You think crying is going to change anything!" Kazuya said growing frustrated with the other's antics, "You coward. You want to go the rest of your life embarrassing yourself over and over again?"

Benjamin only began to cry louder.

"If you don't quit making all that noise," he began darkly, "I'll shut you up forever."

Then suddenly the only thing that could be heard was silence.

"That's better," Kazuya said with a half-smile on his face.

Benjamin failed to find anything amusing about the situation.

"Well, aren't you going to talk? You seemed to have so much to say to me before."

"I…" Benjamin gulped when he saw one of Kazuya's fists tighten, "don't…have…much to say."

"Now, how hard was that to do?"

"B-Bu—

This time Benjamin was struck on the other side of his face.

Benjamin held the side of face in pain as he looked back at Kazuya with watery eyes, "But…this…doesn't…prove anything."

"Oh? It doesn't? That was two sentences just now. Want to try for another?"

Benjamin shook his head no.

"Pansy. It's not as if I plan on killing you…yet."

"Yet?"

"Don't ask me that," Kazuya said in an accusing tone, "I gave you so many chances to leave and stay away that if I decided to get rid of you, your stupidity would be the one at fault."

"You talk as if…it's okay for you to…want to kill me, but…whenever I try to be nice…it's not alright."

"If you don't like it, you can just leave. You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into."

"Just stop it…you can't…scare me off."

"I guess that sucks for you."

"Don't you know…we're both…in the same boat. We're both…outcasts. Nobody…would want to…talk to us."

"No we're different. You willingly make yourself awkward. All you would have to do is think before you say something like you're doing now and beat down the fools who think they can get away with making fun of you."

"I-I—

Benjamin felt a smashing impact onto the other side of his face once again and this time a tooth in the back was loosened.

"You just can't get enough, can you?" Kazuya said.

"Damn it, stop hitting me so hard! What's wrong with you?"

"Are you going to do something about it or is complaining the best you can do?"

Benjamin stood up then unsure of what he would do next. He had seen Kazuya beating the tar out of those punching bags and he could already lift up his own body weight. But wait, maybe he had a chance. It wasn't as if he was at a hundred percent right now. In fact even now he was still sneezing. He hadn't even moved into his usual fighting stance, a clue that he was not taking this seriously and that he certainly had his guard down. All Benjamin could think to do was run at him as fast as he could, but he ended up on the floor rather quickly with an aching back. Somehow he had completely missed his target and Kazuya had simply elbowed him in the back. He even scraped his knees on the hard wooden floor.

"Maybe you should learn how to pick your fights."

But Benjamin stood up again defiantly much to Kazuya's annoyance. He ran at him again, but Kazuya was already tiring of the whole thing so he simply struck hard on the pressure point on the back of his neck and sent Benjamin into an instant unconscious state.

"You brave fool," Kazuya said with a grin.

With this done, he returned to his spot in the corner as a heavy silence fell upon the building.

"You've been slacking," came the accusing voice of Devil in Kazuya's mind.

"No, I haven't. What good is training if you can't put your full effort into it?"

"You're making excuses. It's because of that boy. He's a nuisance."

"Devil, don't you realize…I owe him my life."

"You wouldn't be in this situation if it weren't for him."

"Why don't you come out and say it?—you don't like it at all if I don't follow your rules."

"I don't have to admit anything if it's so obvious. You know what my goal is, boy. You think you have control now, but make no mistake this is not a mutual partnership. I rule supreme."

"You want him dead and he's still alive. Some ruling."

"It won't be this way forever. Even your thoughts will succumb to mine and slowly the goal that you strive so hard for will turn into something else."

"You're just an annoying little voice."

"I'm the one who's going to make you stronger. I'm the one who has given you the chance to destroy your father."

Kazuya was silent for a while. "That seems to be the only thing we agree on."

"Don't worry, you'll be agreeing on more things than just this."

"When it suits me, I suppose so."

"And what is all this about school? That's all you've been thinking about lately."

"You have no idea what it is to be human. I'm not going to go around being unable to read or write. I need to at least know that much."

"What for?"

"The fact that I need to _explain_ it…" Kazuya said with gritted teeth.

"All you're going to do is continue to slack off."

"I'm not slacking. I'm not going to say it again. It doesn't matter if you agree or not—I know what I have to do."

/

AN: So why have I added this new character? Actually, I don't know, just thought it would be interesting. If anything I'll just use him to reveal more of Kazuya's personality at this point. Next chapter coming pretty soon.


	7. Some Schooling and Everything Else in Be

Chapter 7: Some Schooling and Everything Else in Between

Benjamin couldn't believe what he was hearing when he finally recovered from his "beat down". Kazuya had proposed that he go back to the orphanage with Benjamin so then he could take advantage of the schooling there. When asked what had brought this decision on, Kazuya simply stated that it was necessary. As for Benjamin, he hadn't known any child who would willingly want to sit through school—then again, Kazuya wasn't exactly normal. Even Benjamin was certain of that.

They went early in the morning and Benjamin had not once stopped mentioning how this was a bad idea, but he was certainly not the one to stop Kazuya once he decided on something.

"Are you…sure you're alright with this?" Benjamin asked. It seemed he had quickly picked up on a new way of speaking which was slow and steady. Somehow the thought of getting pounded in the face again was just the right kind of motivation

"I've already told you a thousand times," Kazuya responded

"What about…back there…when you tried to kill me. I mean, you can't just go around doing that stuff…"

"The only liability here is you. I trust you won't open your big mouth about anything. Other than that, it won't be a problem."

"But—

"Benjamin! One more _word_ about this…I don't want to talk about it anymore. End of conversation."

Kazuya had never once divulged any details about or tried to explain what had happened that night and Benjamin had not asked. He supposed it was something he shouldn't have seen in the first place. Even then, Benjamin didn't fully understand why it is he would stay around a person like that. When he wasn't talking there was always a cold silence and his eyes always lacked emotion—they were virtually unreadable at all times. Could it be that he was some type of demon? If that were true, Benjamin would rather stay on his good side or what little of it was left.

Benjamin could sense when a person was lonely perhaps this is because that had always been his predicament since the day he was born. Having terrible eyesight and speech problems guaranteed that he would be the butt of everyone's jokes. Kazuya might have been violent and even evil, but there was one thing he hadn't done yet: point and laugh. Kazuya wasn't actually concerned about him; Benjamin could at least admit this. In fact, Kazuya seemed so narrow-minded that something as petty as joking around seemed beneath him. That was probably the only reason Benjamin decided to stay by his side despite the obvious danger.

When Kazuya was first introduced to the orphanage he was forced to do the same thing as other newcomers; introduce himself to the others. The caretaker who was in charge of overseeing their age-group took Kazuya to the front of the room and suddenly all eyes were on him. Strangely, the caretaker, Ms. Ando, didn't have to tell everyone to quiet down; the way his eyes passed over almost everyone, they were silenced immediately.

"Now, Kazuya, tell us a little about yourself," the woman asked with a kind voice.

"Like what?" Kazuya questioned with obvious agitation.

"Like your hobbies, what you like to do."

"I don't have any hobbies and I don't like to do anything." Then Kazuya turned to the masses, "The only thing you need to know about me is my name. The rest is pointless."

"A-Alright then. Well children, Kazuya is a newcomer so make him feel welcomed, alright? I'll be back in a little while to begin our lesson."

But everyone kept their distance except for Benjamin. Kazuya wasn't bothered by any of these things and would have been content to find some quiet place to sit and wait, but Benjamin was nagging. He wanted to "play" with everything he could get his hands on—cards, puzzles, board games—all the things he was unable to do because no one would want to play with him. In order to shut him up, Kazuya agreed to one card game which Benjamin had to teach him how to play. At some point, a child finally decided to approach the two since it seemed that Kazuya was harmless.

"Hey, Benjamin, where did you find this guy?" came the sneering voice of one of Benjamin's regular bullies.

The look that Kazuya gave Benjamin warned him that his next words would decide if he would live or die.

"Oh, we just met by chance…he was lost or something so I brought him here."

"You think this changes anything, four eyes? You think you're safe now 'cus you made friends with some weirdo?"

Kazuya, who was growing bored with this entire conversation, finally put down his cards. "Would you mind? You're interrupting a card game."

The youth was caught off-guard by his nonchalant tone and only stared. Kazuya continued with his turn and waited for Benjamin to play.

"Hey, weirdo! You can't just ignore me."

"Why not?"

"Because…umm…because…"

Kazuya was glad when Ms. Ando came in again to begin the lesson. The cards were forgotten and he was all ears. From the beginning, he didn't understand what she was talking about and Benjamin knew that they had a long road ahead of them. It was odd really, how much he wanted to learn as if he had taken all the intensity he had towards training and transferred it to education.

Benjamin found that he was nothing more than a question-answer machine—Benjamin never had real conversations with Kazuya. It began to occur to him that the only thing Kazuya _did_ know was fighting; everything else was an utter mystery. The main thing that a five year old would be learning is how to read and Benjamin wasn't the best at this—at least he wasn't knowledgeable enough to be teaching someone else. Eventually, Kazuya went straight to the horse's mouth—Ms. Ando—who was more than happy to spend hours upon hours instructing him.

Of course, any teacher would become excited about a person who genuinely wanted to listen to what they had to say so that was the main reason she was willing to volunteer so much of her time. The other reason was that she was concerned about him. The only reason he had been accepted into the orphanage was because he had claimed "that he didn't know who his family was"; essentially amnesia. Also, that meant that he didn't have a last name to give so that they could check up on him. The only thing one could assume was the fact that he was Japanese. The orphanage being located in the Yamaguchi Prefecture, most of its children were Japanese, but there were a handful who hailed from other countries besides—Benjamin being one of these few (a fact that contributes to his "outcast" status).

Amnesia wasn't something that came from out of the clear blue; there had to be some cause to it. The convenient thing about amnesia was that one could claim "they have no idea how it happened" and the half-ass excuse could be accepted at face value. Ms. Ando, however, suspected that he had been the victim of constant abuse—she mistook his dark aura for despondency or depression; something along those lines—and that he simply didn't want to talk about it. That was why she went out of her way to be friendly to him—he never really reciprocated, however. Every day, he'd come to her with the same perpetual frown and enigmatic eyes and ask—though sometimes it sounded more like a demand—that she teach him further and she would acquiesce.

Ms. Ando also noticed that Benjamin always hung around him even if he was in excess of. She had seen them talking on several occasions so she supposed that they were friends—interesting friendship. The more time Benjamin spent with Kazuya the less time he had to spend being picked on. Kids generally stayed away from Kazuya so Benjamin was practically using him as a shield. Kazuya was more or less unconcerned about that. Then again, he was unconcerned about most things in his surroundings. He was not interested in making new friends or being accepted into their world. His mind was quite one-track and only ever bothered to communicate with Benjamin and Ms. Ando—that was all. Other kids sensed that he wanted to be left alone and they did.

"Now, Kazuya," Ms. Ando said to him when it was getting rather late, "I have to go in a few. You just keep practicing on that book and show me that you really know how to read it tomorrow after class."

She only received a nod from him.

"And, Kazuya, you know I am always here to listen to you. So if you ever feel like you really have something to say, don't hesitate."

She received another nod from him and she wondered if he really understood what she was offering to do for him. Benjamin wasn't too far away from them as he sat patiently waiting for Kazuya to finally be done with Ms. Ando. She smiled gently to him and then took her leave.

"Wow, she really wants to get personal, doesn't she?" Benjamin asked Kazuya just as he got down from the seat he was sitting at.

"Doesn't matter," he said simply, "I have nothing to say to her. As long as she continues to be useful, I'll just ignore the other parts."

"Can we play one last game for the night?"

Benjamin shrank back when Kazuya glared at the other. "Fine, one last game."

"Oh! Alright. This time, it's a board game."

"Scrabble," Kazuya said without hesitation.

"Scrabble? But I don't know how to keep score on that game."

"Does there always have to be a winner? I just want to play it."

It wasn't as if Benjamin could simply say "no" so he promptly got said game out and they played it for hours on end. Benjamin grew bored with it quickly since he really didn't know a lot of words, but Kazuya seemed very concentrated on it despite also not knowing a lot of words. They played right up to the time when they had to go to bed. Because they were in an orphanage that had more kids than they had space for, children were paired up.

Previous to Kazuya, Benjamin had not had a bed and was forced to sleep on the floor. However, Kazuya had not wanted to sleep on the floor when there were beds so he basically took one for himself. Benjamin remembered their first night there like it was yesterday.

"Umm…we're going to have to sleep on the floor; there's no room for us," Benjamin said nervously to Kazuya.

"And why do we have to be the ones to do that? I really hate sleeping on the floor and if I don't have to, I won't."

"Wait…but…"

Kazuya was already stalking over to one of the beds which two boys had just gotten into.

"You two will be the ones sleeping on the floor," Kazuya said to them.

The entire room dropped several decibels as Kazuya spoke. The entire day he had not spoken to anyone besides Benjamin.

"What?" one of the boys questioned, "You're the new kid. You don't get a bed 'cus we were here first."

"I don't feel like sleeping on the floor. Now get up."

The boy frowned at the other, "You think you're such a bigshot. You don't scare me. I'm not giving up my bed to you."

"That's too bad for you," Kazuya replied.

The children gasped when Kazuya grabbed his entire front shirt and dumped him on the ground—obviously, fights were not common; this was probably the most violence that they had ever seen. The boy started crying instantly with the sudden impact.

"Stop crying or I'll do worse," Kazuya ordered.

There was something about crying that Kazuya always found disturbing. He hated crying himself and he certainly didn't want to be the one watching another person do that.

The boy quieted quickly thanks to the fear that Kazuya had managed to get through to him. Now the room was completely silent.

Kazuya turned to the other boy in the bed who seemed frozen. "Well, did I not make myself clear?"

The frozen boy then scampered out of bed all on his own leaving an entire bed for Kazuya. The two boys could do nothing more but skulk away. This was possibly the reason why there were no more attempts made on trying to "get to know Kazuya" nor did anyone even attempt to sleep in that bed. After that day, everyone knew to stay out of Kazuya's way.

Kazuya might have had the entire bed to himself had Benjamin not decide that he too would join, but Kazuya was not the sharing, caring type. He took all the covers for himself and never shared the pillow. Benjamin was rather an afterthought.

"Hey, Kazuya," Benjamin whispered to Kazuya one night. "How long do you plan to stay here?"

When Kazuya didn't respond immediately, Benjamin wondered if he had already fallen asleep, but apparently he hadn't. "For as long as it takes."

"To do what?"

"To read and write."

"But…that isn't the only thing people go to school for."

"I'm not interested in anything else."

"What about Math? History? Science?"

"I don't know."

"I just think it'd be wrong to stop at just reading and writing."

"I can't stand this place. I wouldn't be able to stay here for that long."

Benjamin sighed when he said this, "Too many people?"

"If it were just me and teacher, I'd be content."

"What about me?"

"What about you?"

"Well, you wouldn't mind it if I were with you."

"I also wouldn't mind it if you _weren't_ with me."

At first Benjamin had been turned towards Kazuya's back now he turned the other way. "We're friends, right?"

"I don't have friends. What would I do with them?"

"You'd do what you're doing now. Maybe _share_ a bit more, though," Benjamin said referring to the covers.

Benjamin could suddenly feel Kazuya's eyes on him and Benjamin then turned back to him.

"I…had a friend once before—but things ended pretty quickly. After that, I knew I had no business with people like that; people who I would soon either take advantage of or screw over. So no, we are not friends and you should count yourself lucky."

"But…I want to go with you. I hate this place too."

"You can't," Kazuya said with an exasperated sigh, "You just can't."

Kazuya didn't know how he would ever explain this point any better to Benjamin. For now he was tired of talking about it and turned away again. This time he really did fall asleep.

/

"So, Kazuya, what are your plans?" Ms. Ando asked Kazuya one day as he was steadily trying to write the alphabets.

Kazuya glanced up at her with one raised eyebrow, but then continued with his endeavor which he seemed completely concentrated on. Was it him or were people just a little too concerned about his plans? "What do you mean?"

"Surely, you have some dream you want to accomplish. Maybe you want to be a writer?"

"No," he responded as he finished another letter.

"An editor perhaps?"

"No," Kazuya repeated.

"Don't tell me you have _no_ plans. The way you work hard every day, I think you have something in mind."

"Knowing how to read and write is just something I have to do."

"Sure, but there's another reason, isn't there? It's, alright, you don't have to be so secretive."

Kazuya knew that if he didn't think of something convincing to say, she would continue to badger him. "Sure, yes, I want to be a writer."

"Ah, so you do. But what would you write about?"

"Whatever comes to mind."

"You have any ideas now? Maybe I could help you write this story of yours."

"It's personal, if you don't mind."

"Alright," Ms. Ando said with a smile. "Fair enough."

Kazuya was glad that they had put an end to the conversation, but he couldn't help but notice her prying eyes. Every little thing that he did seemed to be monitored by her. This was the kind of thing that Kazuya would be forced to sit through whenever he wanted to get something done and soon Kazuya had come up with a selection of responses he could say to her whenever she started doing anything other than teaching. He couldn't wait until he was through with her, but that seemed like it would take longer than Kazuya had bargained for.


	8. A Special Gift

Chapter 8: A Special Gift

Kazuya wished that everyone would simply ignore him, but instead, they had avoided him which did little to curb the fact that they still paid close attention to him. There were always the rumors; Kazuya could do nothing to stop them from spreading. All of them were completely off target at least this is what Kazuya knew to be true from Benjamin who never missed a chance to inform him about it. Kazuya wouldn't be surprised if Benjamin had started them—he was just a little too excited about all the buzz. He eventually went off on his own whenever he really wanted to concentrate—sometimes he couldn't even tolerate Benjamin's presence. Usually it worked out when he climbed out to the roof, but not always. Apparently, other kids knew of this place as well. He would have a book and try his wit at reading it correctly.

On one certain day, Kazuya was doing just that, but he was unfortunately stuck on one word.

"It's 'sentence'," a girl's voice said aloud.

The first thing Kazuya noticed since he still looked down at his book was her tennis shoes—they were purple with a shiny finish on it. On the side was a chiefly red check mark with a threaded yellow outline.

"Nice shoes," Kazuya said finally as if completely disregarding her last statement.

"Thanks. You want them?" the girl said with a shrug.

"What? No, I'm busy."

"Well, I guess that's one rumor that's wrong. I've never heard of a person who doesn't like anything. I was going to ask you that question, but you made it pretty easy."

"Is that all? You can leave now."

"Well, alright, suit yourself," the girl shrugged and then walked away.

When she wasn't looking, he glanced back at her shoes, but then continued with his book. Of course, this was not the last he saw of her. He later knew her name to be Becky or at least it was her preferred name—her real name was Aiko, but for some reason she hated whenever anyone called her that. She would march up to him every once in a while and demand to know if this rumor or that rumor was true. Each time, she'd have a different pair of tennis shoes on all which were new and looked pleasing to Kazuya's eyes. He would always say something about them and she would then ask her question—then he'd tell her to buzz off. That was the extent of their relationship in the beginning, but neither of them grew tired of it.

At breakfast, lunch, and dinner, it was not uncommon to see Becky—who had quietly slipped away from her usual bunch of friends—Benjamin, and Kazuya sitting together. Kazuya never made it a point to sit with anyone but it was as if they were drawn to him and the reason for this was not apparent. On most occasions, Kazuya would simply listen to them talk back and forth only half interested with what they had to say. Becky, with her long dyed blonde, tied back hair would always make a point to smile whenever Kazuya was around. She was also a bit adventurous and managed to get in trouble at least once every week with her tendency to always be in the wrong place. Needless to say, she always had something to talk about to Benjamin.

"I've just thought of something cool we could all do together," Becky said aloud one day.

Kazuya had just finished his food—which always tasted crappy in his opinion—and looked at Becky wearily.

"We're gonna' steal some decent food from the grocery store," Becky explained excitedly.

"What brought this on?" Benjamin asked confused.

"Well, isn't it your birthday tomorrow?"

"Um…y-yeah—" Benjamin closed his mouth when he felt Kazuya's gaze on him.

Probably the only reason he hadn't jumped across the table and given him a nice hefty punch to the guts was because others were watching and he didn't want to draw attention.

"I-I m-mean…" Benjamin stopped himself again and took a deep breath, "Yes, it is."

"Well no one's going to celebrate it unless we do something about that. We have to get you a birthday cake and everything. What do you say, Kazuya? Do you want to help?"

"I'm in," Kazuya said simply, but Benjamin did not miss the not too subtle cracking of the knuckles. "I just want some better food. I think I've already thought of the perfect present for him."

Benjamin knew that Kazuya wasn't the kind of person to give presents so he could only wonder what he was talking about. He didn't like the sound of it, however.

That night, the three of them stole out of the orphanage. Benjamin and Becky were not very quiet, but the fact that Kazuya was with them probably convinced the other kids to say nothing at all about it. Neither of them knew where to go because they had hardly ever stepped outside of the orphanage before. Obviously, Becky had not thought things through. They wound up following Kazuya who had done this sort of things plenty of times before. Becky was clearly impressed.

"So this means you're from around here then?" Becky asked to Kazuya as they crossed another street.

"Not at all," Kazuya responded and he did not elaborate.

She was thoroughly mystified by this point. She didn't know what to make of him. Benjamin only gave her a knowing look. It didn't take them long to reach the grocery store. Instead of going through the front, Kazuya led them to the back where there was a door that could be easily unlocked. The two quietly watched as he used two thin strips of metal to pick at the lock. He wasn't a professional, but given enough time to jostle with the gears inside—and _that_ took forever it seemed like—the door popped open.

"For a moment there, I thought we were stuck," Becky commented.

"They've changed the locks," Kazuya said gruffly, "which means it might not be so easy this time."

It was quite obvious to Becky then that he had done this plenty of times before.

"I don't like this at all, maybe we should turn back," Benjamin said.

"Then turn back. It'd be a complete waste for me to do the same," Kazuya answered.

Becky followed Kazuya in and after standing there watching their disappearing forms, Benjamin followed as well. Kazuya halted when they got to the first corner and peered around it—Becky tried to do the same, but she only managed to slip and fall.

"Hey, you kids shouldn't be here!" called a voice from all the way down the aisle.

"Crap! I'm sorry you guys!" Becky whispered frantically as she pulled herself back to her feet and ran back around the corner.

Kazuya could already hear the footsteps of the policeman. With a heavy sigh, he stood up and dashed around the corner.

"Hey, wait!" Becky shouted, but she found herself being held back by Benjamin. "Let go, he'll get himself in trouble."

"Let Kazuya do what he does best," Benjamin said in calming tones.

They grew quiet when they heard a heavy thump on the floor. It was then that they chanced a peek. There stood an unharmed Kazuya and an unconscious policeman.

"If this is the only protection this store has, they'll have to deal with a lot more stolen goods."

Becky stared wide-eyed, but Benjamin pulled her along and they followed Kazuya to the section where the cakes were stored at.

"Here we are," Kazuya said finally.

"Wow…I can't believe we actually did it!" Becky exclaimed.

Becky, though she was known for being adventurous, had never been on one that ended on a good note.

"Grab one already," Kazuya said impatiently, "People don't stay unconscious forever."

While Becky gushed over which one they should take, Kazuya slipped into other various aisles and took some food that he actually wanted to eat. The food at the orphanage was frankly disgusting. This time was different, though. Now he could read the label instead of depending on the picture or if something looked right. It brought a grin to his face. He could finally do it; he could finally read on his own.

"Good, so now we can get back to your training, slacker."

Kazuya flinched involuntarily when he heard Devil's voice again. Devil had been oddly silent for the last few weeks; Kazuya had naïvely begin to assume that perhaps he had become dormant and that he had won. Of course it wouldn't be so easy.

"I have to stay…just a little while longer," Kazuya said back. "Until I'm able to read even a book without pictures. After that…I'm sure I could manage on my own."

"Excuses, excuses," Devil muttered incessantly in Kazuya's mind.

"Um…Kazuya?"

Kazuya turned to Benjamin then who had seemed to sneak up behind him.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I thought you were with Becky."

"Yeah, but she didn't want me to see which cake she got and the present so…"

"Right."

"Kazuya? Are you really okay?"

It wasn't a good sign that he was talking to himself once again; the incident from before remained vivid in his mind.

"Why do you always insist on bringing things up? It's annoying. I don't need a babysitter."

"I won't say anything else. Just that…if all you want to do is learn a few things, it won't happen if you wound up…well, you know…"

"I'm _well_ aware," Kazuya said back. He had suddenly grown rather tense.

"Is that my present?" Benjamin said completely changing the subject as he pointed to all the food he had collected in one of the bags he held. It seemed packed with bags and bags of junk food.

"No, this is for me. I already have your present."

"Really?"

"You'll see."

Again, Benjamin didn't like the sound of this at all.

"Hey, guys, I'm ready!" Becky said loudly down the aisle.

Kazuya didn't like the fact that Becky was so loud, but he was glad that this whole venture was over. They went back out the same way they came in and smoothly made it back to the orphanage without further incident.

/

The next morning was noisier than usual and it was still quite early. Kazuya decided that he would ignore them as he usually did and catch some extra sleep. As one can probably recall, Kazuya was used to getting up extremely early, but it wasn't hard to fall into a less strenuous routine. There did seem to be a little bit too much laughing and joking about.

"Hey, Kazuya," Benjamin whispered frantically knowing that Kazuya was only pretending to be asleep. "You gotta' wake up. Becky's in trouble."

"So?" Kazuya said with a yawn, "No need to add to it."

Benjamin watched as the other pulled the pillow over his head in an attempt to block out the noise.

"You're really not gonna' do nothing?" Benjamin asked in disbelief—then again, he probably shouldn't have been so surprised.

Benjamin took a deep breath and gathered the same courage that had allowed him to keep visiting Kazuya despite being utterly afraid of him. He took ahold of the pillow and grabbed it from him. It didn't take long for Benjamin to feel the crushing blow of a fist aimed directly at his nose. He fell back onto the floor but he still held the pillow and his legs took the covers along with him.

"You jerk! Don't ever do something like that again!" Kazuya yelled infuriatingly at the nonresponsive Benjamin as he leaped to his feet.

Speaking of not trying to draw attention, the entire room became soundless when they heard his raised voice. He had never raised his voice in such a way in front of them before and Kazuya was acutely aware of the stares he was getting from afar. Finally, he stepped off the bed and made his way over to where all the noise had been coming from. There was a now silent mob of boys gathered around a tearful Becky. Kazuya looked from the half-eaten cake in their hands and then back to them. He hadn't even said a word, but he was promptly given the tray with which the cake was on. Perhaps the deathly look that Kazuya gave them could help explain their reaction. Becky, seeing Kazuya, ran behind him and the boys kept their distance. At first they were frozen, but then they simply walked off mumbling to themselves.

"You…you did it," Becky said with her still shaky voice from her previous tears, "Thank you."

"Here," he said handing her the tray.

"Oh," Becky managed as she took it up. Then she went to also take back the lid which had been forgotten on the floor somewhere. "Hey, where are you going?" she said as he took his leave.

"Get some extra sleep," he replied.

"Oh…alright."

Kazuya found both the blanket and the pillow all in a heap along with Benjamin. He took both of these things off of him and climbed into bed again. Benjamin was left with a bloody nose and as soon as he could—an hour or so later—he took off for the bathroom. He almost ran into Becky who had been keeping vigilance over him. Not to mention that since people kept their distance away from Kazuya, she didn't have to deal with the same boys from before.

"Benjamin, what happened?"

"That Kazuya…sometimes I wonder why I even bother."

"What? He did that to you?"

Benjamin gave her a look, "You're lucky you're a girl," he said as he then rushed passed her to get to the bathroom.

Becky sat on Benjamin's side of the bed waiting for either Benjamin to return or for Kazuya to wake up. Benjamin made it back first.

"Well, there's still _some_ cake left. We might as well eat it now before we run into any more trouble."

She handed him the cake with a smile.

"Oh, th-thanks. I mean, thank you very much," Benjamin said correcting himself.

She giggled playfully as he did this. "It was supposed to be a cake with a smiley face bear on it, but now all there is is the ear."

"That's fine."

"At least my present is small enough to hide so I'll wait to give it to you later."

"Alright."

Becky took out three forks from her pocket and handed Benjamin one of them. "Just let me get Kazuya."

"Don't bother," Benjamin scoffed. When he saw the surprised look on her face, he thought of an excuse, "Um…that is, he really doesn't like cake."

"Oh, okay. Well that's fine. More for us then."

While they did all of this, Kazuya slipped out of bed and escaped their friendly laughter. There was always the roof he could go to where no one would bother him. When he got there, he realized that he had forgotten to bring a book. It didn't matter though as he sat down quietly as if he was waiting for something. And he continued to sit there.

"You slacker…You really don't want to do anything, do you? Learning to read? That was just an excuse for not training. Now I find you doing absolutely nothing."

"Shut-up! I don't want to hear from you anymore."

"You pitiful little…You've grown attached, haven't you?" Devil asked in a mockingly surprised voice.

Kazuya didn't even reward it with an answer.

"You don't belong here and you've known it since the day you decided to defy me and come here. Now you see for yourself. They don't understand you like I do."

"That's only because I purposely close myself off to others. Don't give yourself so much credit."

"They'll never accept you like I do."

"They don't accept _you_."

"They won't help you get stronger."

"Only I can do that. Just leave me alone."

"You know I can't do that. It's been so long since we've had this kind of quality time. Isn't that why you came up here so you could be alone with me?"

"Maybe. I don't know why I came here. I'll miss class, but I don't care anymore."

"Maybe you should be training. You never got tired of that when you were really focused on it."

"Training is the only thing I know how to do, but I don't…I don't even want to do it right now."

"You know what that means?"

"No."

"It means, you should have listened to me. You've become a slacker just as I knew would happen if you took off even one day. You've forgotten about the reason you're doing all this. Your father. Even now, your father is still living happily without you around. He got away with murder and he's never going to pay for his actions. He doesn't feel guilt or remorse—he only feels happiness. The very same happiness he felt on the day your mother died. I hope this is jogging your memory. Your training is of the utmost importance."

"I must train…" Kazuya said quietly.

"Yes, exactly."

"Maybe later."

"Later? Now."

"No, not now. I don't feel like it now."

"Now!"

"Later. And that's my final decision."

"Fine. As long as you do so."

Kazuya stood up then and looked to the sky. And he kept watching it. He watched as the sun slowly traversed across the sky past numerous puffy clouds and then as the blue sky began to darken. It was as if he was in a trance.

"So this is where you've been."

It took Kazuya a long moment to realize that someone had spoken to him. The silence had become so deafening that he had begun to ignore everything else. Kazuya only answered Benjamin with a glance.

"You missed class."

This time Kazuya did nothing besides look down.

"I've been looking for you all day."

"Hmph."

"Sorry about what happened back there. I…well…"

"Maybe I really _don't_ like cake. It's not like I cared about that."

"You always act like you don't care, but I know the truth."

"This isn't usually the response one expects after giving someone a bloody nose. If you want to hate me, then go for it."

"Kazuya!" Benjamin said frustrated that he still didn't understand that he'd never stop being his friend, "Kazuya…is that really what you want?"

"I still haven't given you my present."

"Oh…yeah."

"Meet me in the back in five minutes," Kazuya said.

Mystified, all Benjamin could do was nod. Kazuya waited until the other left before he too did the same. However, he instead made it out of the orphanage and took off to his previous hideout which was the abandoned gym. When there, he went straight to the cabinets where he had stowed all the things he had not wanted to take with him. There they were—his red fingerless gloves. He had stolen them from a clothing store when it had caught his eye. They were cheap and probably would fall apart after using them too much, but it was part of the gift that he would give Benjamin. With these in hand, he ran off again back to the orphanage in record time. By the time he got to the designated spot, Benjamin was there.

"Almost thought you were just going to leave me hanging."

"Now that wouldn't make sense."

There was a lone light that showed as the black cement bordered with the grass.

"Is that it?" Benjamin asked looking at the red gloves.

"No," Kazuya said with a grin as he slipped them on carefully. "I think you should stand in the grass."

Benjamin soundlessly backed up into the grass. He was still looking at Kazuya, but now he was becoming weary.

"What exactly is this?" Benjamin asked, but Kazuya did not intend to answer back.

"Hold still."

Benjamin had never seen him look so focused before—not even when he was working on a worksheet. He watched as Kazuya moved into a strange stance and his muscles seemed far more tense than usual. Then his hands clenched into a solid fist. Benjamin stood in frozen wonderment. Suddenly, Kazuya charged at the other with surprising speed and his fist shot out and then up as it connected with the other's chin. The only thing Benjamin saw was the strange crackling of blue lightening and then it was lights out.

"There," Kazuya said with a grin, "That's the move that's gonna' kill my father."

Benjamin was knocked quite far in the air and he landed ungracefully in the grass. Kazuya took his time approaching him and sat down on the ground beside him. He woke only after a few hours and there was a thin line of blood which had crawled from the side of his mouth down to his ear.

"Kazuya…what the hell…?" Benjamin managed.

Kazuya noticed the blood on his teeth and watched as he turned slowly and spat out a wad of it—no doubt another broken tooth.

"Is it 'cus I had a slip up in front of Becky last time? Was it the cake?"

Kazuya shook his head; then he looked at him. "Congratulations, you're the first one to ever receive that attack—it's called Lightening Uppercut. Did you like it?"

"No," Benjamin said exasperatedly.

"You should feel honored. There will be countless other people who will find themselves on the receiving end of this attack, but none of them will be first one—that spot is reserved for you. Always."

"Well, when you put it that way…" Benjamin said with a sigh, "But you really suck at gifts, you know that?"

"It's not as if I put all my strength into it—I wasn't trying to kill you."

"That makes me feel _so_ much better."

Kazuya stood up and for a moment Benjamin thought that he was simply going to be left behind. Then the unthinkable happened; Kazuya held his hand out to him. Surprised, Benjamin paused before he finally took his hand and he was lifted up quite easily. Just when Benjamin thought he could then walk on his own, he fell to his knees again.

"What's wrong?" Kazuya asked grudgingly.

"That lightening…really hurts. I would hate to see what that attack does to someone at full strength."

"Fine, I'll carry you."

"You'll what?"

"It _is_ still your birthday, isn't it? Now grab hold before I change my mind," Kazuya said bending down.

Kazuya was slightly taller than the other so he was just tall enough to carry him on his back without it being too awkward. Since it was night, all the kids had gone to bed. It made Kazuya's trip to the bathroom that much easier without unwanted prying eyes. By then, Benjamin was able to walk on his own so he went to the sink to clean himself off and Kazuya waited quietly at the door.

"What did Becky give you?" Kazuya asked.

"She gave me shoe laces," Benjamin said with a short laugh, "To think there's actually someone out there who fails worse than her at gifts," he said shaking his head.

"At least it's memorable."

"Kazuya…you're still planning to leave, aren't you?"

Kazuya only nodded back.

"You know when?"

"Not now."

"Alright."

"But I wouldn't tell you, especially since you're not coming with me."

"You can't go all by yourself. You almost died last time, you know. There's no way you could survive out there without help."

Kazuya turned away from him.

"Stop being so stubborn."

"Let's just go to bed."

Soon the two of them crept quietly back into the room where their beds were. Benjamin who was used to sleeping with no covers was caught off guard when Kazuya allowed him some part of it—and Benjamin was quite grateful. Although also sharing the pillow was too much to ask…


	9. Departure

Chapter 9: Departure

Kazuya would stay at the orphanage for nearly a year before he finally decided that he learned enough and that it was time to leave. He had no idea where he would be going, but he simply knew that he couldn't stay there. In the short term, the abandoned gym would be a good place to return to his original routine, but he wanted some new scenery. Also, he couldn't keep on stealing from the same stores—there were already policemen; they might smarten up and actually get a camera. He was bound to get caught—that was something he never wanted to deal with.

He hadn't known specifically when he might leave, but he felt that day getting closer and closer just as his recent attacks of reoccurring nightmares continued with more and more fervor. The dreams themselves weren't scary, but he would always wake up in a cold sweat. The only thing he kept seeing was fire and for some reason he would feel this uncanny anguish and want to strike something only to realize that he had nothing to strike at—that was the worst feeling in the world. In the middle of the night some days, he'd sneak outside and begin pounding away at an unsuspecting tree until his knuckles began to peel. It only brought temporary relief. It wasn't worth the pain he would feel later when he realized what he had done and have to have his knuckles wrapped in bandages.

Benjamin was always there asking him questions wanting to understand and while at first Kazuya might have spoken to him he soon became distant. Kazuya hardly said anything to Becky even at the times when they ate. They could feel it too, the coldness emanating from him. It took real courage to even speak to him any longer. When he wasn't with the teacher learning from her or trying to read, he would be doing absolutely nothing perhaps even staring out to blank space with a dead expression on his face. He would flex his fingers back and forth slowly just so he could agitate the soreness of his wounded knuckles. Since he was learning to write, he also had to curl his hands around a pencil each day and never once did he complain about it. Ms. Tucket grew overly concerned for Kazuya's wellbeing—just watching him write pained her, but still he told her nothing.

Benjamin grew accustomed to the extra movement in the bed beside him since it seemed that Kazuya could not sleep for the whole night anymore and would leave and then come back only to leave again. He sighed wearily at this, but he knew there was nothing he could do especially since Kazuya would never open up to him. Benjamin waited until Kazuya climbed back into bed again to say something.

"What did you do?" Benjamin asked.

"Nothing worth talking about," Kazuya responded coldly.

"Sorry I asked."

"I know what you're trying to do. Don't."

"Okay."

That was probably the most they had said in a while and the entire thing had felt awkward to Benjamin. And then Kazuya went MIA for three whole days. Benjamin told Becky that he had probably left. It only made him more surprised when they saw him again.

"Kazuya!" they both cried together when they saw him enter the room one afternoon soon after class had ended.

They had never hugged before, but the two of them felt compelled to do so at that moment. However, they might as well had been hugging a piece of brick. Not only did he not hug them back, he pushed them away quickly. Benjamin wasn't nearly as surprised as Becky.

"We were only trying to be nice. We hadn't seen you in days! I don't know if you know this or not—but you're 'posed to hug after a long absence like that!"

Then Becky noticed his hands dripping with blood.

"Oh my God, what did you do, Kazuya!"

Kazuya raised one of his bloodied hands and clenched it. His expression was enigmatic. They couldn't tell if he was angry, sad, or hurt. It didn't help that he chose to say nothing at all. He simply turned from them and, after a confused look at each other, they followed him to the nurse's room where he easily stole some rubbing alcohol and bandages. Then they tailed him to the bathroom (and yes, Becky followed them into the boy's bathroom) where he washed his hands in the sink. Then he put the stopper in and emptied the entire contents of the alcohol into the sink. Without hesitation, he placed both of his badly scarred hands in. All that could be heard was the sizzling sound of the alcohol working through the open wounds. They couldn't help but winch at the scene, but Kazuya's expression remained neutral. It didn't take long for the sink to become thick with blood. After the sizzling sound calmed, he lifted his hands again and proceeded to wrapping bandages around it. He pulled mercilessly hard on the cloth on each turn—it might have been enough to cut circulation; in this case, it easily stopped the bleeding.

"Kazuya, are you going to tell us what happened?" Benjamin asked when he finished.

"I wanted to punch something…" Kazuya said slowly with little emotion, "I wanted to kill something…so I imagined his face and kept pounding at it…and kept pounding at it…and kept…pounding at it until he was dead…only to find that he was still there laughing at how weak I am. I've just been slacking this whole time." Kazuya had taken to closing and opening the top of the alcohol bottle, but soon he stood up to throw it away.

"You're thinking about leaving, aren't you?" Benjamin asked.

"I wish I could fast-forward time and get this over with already," Kazuya said ignoring his comment.

The only thing Kazuya did was walk in between the both of them and trudged off to his bed. He left them dumfounded. Becky looked to Benjamin for answers, but he could hardly give any. Benjamin had really never seen him like this before.

That night, Benjamin never heard Kazuya wake up in the middle of the night. It was the first time in a while that he slept all the way through. Benjamin looked over at his still form and took a deep breath before placing his backhand on his forehead to check his temperature. His eyes grew wide when he found that it was cold to the touch, but he was frozen still when he felt Kazuya's eyes on him.

"What are you doing?" came the monotone of Kazuya.

"I was…well I was…"

Then Benjamin felt the crippling force of Kazuya's hand around his wrist. He almost thought he had lost his hand for good when Kazuya finally threw it back. Even then Benjamin could feel the chilling temperature.

"You're Benjamin, right?"

The question caught him off guard. Not to mention the foreign look in his eyes, one that Benjamin had never seen before.

"You're not…you're the same person…from before…" Benjamin spoke with disbelief. The two glowing red eyes flashed through his mind.

"I don't always have to be so obvious, but it seems you catch on quick."

"Who are you?"

"Someone who you don't want to know."

Benjamin might have thought this was split personalities, but what he had seen before forced him to realize that it was something else altogether.

"You're the one…you must be the reason he was out there all alone. You're the reason he has so much trouble with making friends. I bet if you never existed, he'd be a completely different person!" he whispered angrily.

Benjamin only received a mischievous smile from him.

"Kazuya, you have to snap out of it right now."

"Oh, how late you are. This was set in motion well before you ever met Kazuya. I've waited and waited for him to come around, but to no avail. He has simply become too attached. He thought he could defy me that weak little bastard. Me? He thinks he has a chance against me? Ha! I'll teach him a lesson he'll soon not forget."

"You leave him alone," Benjamin said defiantly.

"There's nothing you can do."

And then Benjamin saw it—the illuminating red eyes. Was there any chance now? Would Kazuya pull himself back from the brink once again? Benjamin tried to grab for him again, but he was thrust back by strong arms. The only thing he could hear was laughter—a loud and raucous laughter that woke everyone up at once and Benjamin soon smelled the scent of burning. Lasers bounced everywhere at once and kids were screaming and running around causing more and more confusion. The lights were never turned on as flammable covers caught on fire along with the carpet.

"I'll destroy everything!" Devil called out gleefully, "All of you shall die!"

Benjamin struggled to find Becky, but he was knocked over by other scrambling children and then knocked out completely when he fell back into a dresser.

/

The wind swept intently through the thick forest and whistled as if it were haunted with ghosts. The moon was full that night and shined even brighter than the stars. If there were werewolves, they would have been rampant that night. There was howling and leaves rustling incessantly and yet there was a comforting silence. As the leaves bustled about, they snapped off their branches and fluttered to the forest floor. Out of all of them, the lucky few fell upon a small boy who had taken refuge on the forest's carpet of soil and twigs. He might have been mistaken as a corpse as the body remained motionless for days and days until one day the fingers began to move. It felt the smoothness of the soft, moist soil and a confused expression came to his face. The fingers burrowed all the way into it before being lifted once again.

"Mama…are you here…will you forgive me?"

Kazuya finally opened his eyes lazily and realized that he was still alive.

"Then again…even if I were to die…I probably wouldn't be in the same place as you. All I have left to look forward to is life."

He struggled to sit up and held his head when he momentarily felt it swimming with pain.

"Devil?"

But Devil never responded. Again, it felt oddly absent.

"What happened? Someone tell me…"

But no one ever did. The longer he sat there, the idler he became. It was when he stood up that he realized that he was near the abandoned gym. He continued to walk forward until he was upon the building once again. Then he went through the open door only to find a shoe box sitting in the middle of the room.

"A shoe box?" Kazuya said to himself.

He stepped over to it and carefully opened the lid. There sitting in it were the shoes that Kazuya had first complimented Becky for wearing. For some reason, he found himself blinking back tears, but one managed to get through. He had no idea how or when it had gotten there, but here it was. All he could do was look at the purple shiny shoes. He only let one finger slide down the length of it before closing the lid.

His hands were still bandaged from before and had already begun to throb more and more. When he flexed his fingers once again, he felt a cold, searing pain slowly traverse down his hand and then repeat. Kazuya wondered what he had been thinking doing in a tree like that with his bare hands—it certainly wasn't one of the smartest things he had done. He lifted up the box shakily with his hands to put it in his lap, but then noticed a small sheet of notebook paper that lay flattened beneath it. Putting the shoebox aside, he picked up the paper instead and began to read it.

_Kazuya,_

_Benjamin told me you might be leaving soon so I thought I might give a parting gift…I heard you don't like gifts and I really didn't want you to get annoyed so I asked Benjamin if there was some place I could put it where you were sure to find it. So here it is. It's kinda' windy here so I had to put this underneath. Even if you never look at your gift at least you can read this note. Kazuya, I guess I can say this 'cus I'm just writing it, but I really really like you and I would be really really sad if you left. Please stay. Please. This is my last resort. Kinda' pathetic, I know, but I knew I couldn't convince you any other way. Whatever mission you have in life, whatever is making you want to leave…if you really must do it, please consider taking me with you. I think it's really gonna' suck without you around and I love adventures. I want to see the world too._

_Aiko (aka Becky^^)_

"Hm, Becky, you're a pretty good writer, but…I couldn't take you with me. What I have to do, I have to do alone. And now…I guess it's impossible for you."

After reading it over again, he placed it inside the box as well. He looked towards the punching bags which hung from the ceiling in front of him and that was as far as he got before he heard someone come through the front door. Currently, his back was to the door. He turned his head in order to look at the intruder. The man who stood there at the entrance looked rather official and wore a black suit with a white dress shirt underneath.

"Are you Kazuya Mishima?"

Kazuya set the box on the ground and stood to face the man—he moved soundlessly into his fighting stance.

"That form…I guess you are. Your grandfather sent the Tekken Investigative Force (T. I. F.) to find you. You may call me Mr. Hiroshi."

"Why would Grandfather look for me? Everyone thinks I'm dead. How did you know where to find me?"

"Fair enough," Mr. Hiroshi said calmly. "Your grandfather always suspected foul play ever since the day your father announced your death. Just like your mother's death, your grandfather was suspicious that your father had a hand in it. He had no proof, however. This time, there was no body and the excuse your father made up for your death seemed all too convenient. Apparently, you had slipped and fell. The first place we investigated was the cliff. We found traces of blood on a sharpened rock and a trail of it that led to a rather large area of blood splatter. There was enough there to assume that you might have bled to death there. If that were true, the body would still have to be there—and there was no traces of that.

"Your grandfather wanted you to be alive. Since the evidence was not conclusive, he urged us to continue searching. The trail had grown cold by then. For the longest time, we were simply going off hunches and wild guesses. And then there was a break in the case—Jun, the last person to have seen you. Since she claimed to have seen you even after your supposed death, it was made official that you must have been somewhere keeping a low profile. We scoured town after town and found nothing and suddenly there was the orphanage. The only reason it had caught our attention was because of the strange occurrence of a fire which so far has no cause. It was all over the news. We looked further into this place and found that there was a boy who lived there by the name of Kazuya. There were two children who survived the fire and we questioned them. Our search ended up in this forest. Here is the abandoned building that was mentioned, and here you are."

"The two kids…" Kazuya said slowly, "What were their names?"

"Benjamin Kato and Aiko Suzuki."

Kazuya looked away as sudden flashes of memory came to him, but they were wholly incomprehensible.

"Is there something wrong, Mr. Mishima?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Well, it seems as if our work is done. Now if you will, gather all the things you would like to take with you—since it seems like you have stayed here for a while—and follow me to the car."

Kazuya was almost speechless. He hadn't even seen this coming. In fact, he had forgotten about his grandfather, but apparently, his grandfather had never forgotten him. Kazuya picked up the shoebox and left with the clean-cut man to his private T.I.F car. His partner was clearly glad to see the other man come up. Mr. Hiroshi opened the door for Kazuya who slipped in quietly. The entire way to Jinpachi's mansion, he never took his hands off the shoe box.


	10. A New Beginning

Chapter 10: A New Beginning

Kazuya didn't know what to make of Jinpachi. He only vaguely remembered him; otherwise he was a complete stranger. The only thing he knew for certain was that Jinpachi was genuinely glad that he was alive. It had been a long trip to his mansion; so when he first go there, Jinpachi had simply let Kazuya rest for as long as he wanted. When Kazuya finally awoke from his extraordinarily long rest, Jinpachi invited him to dinner—it was quite late in the day.

It was a silent dinner at first. Kazuya was hungry enough, but he really had nothing to say to Jinpachi. It wasn't until Jinpachi broke the silence that there was any sort of conversation.

"So, how are you feeling?" Jinpachi asked.

"I'm fine," Kazuya said between mouthfuls.

"No," Jinpachi said slowly, "I mean, how do you feel? You've been through a lot for someone so young."

Kazuya didn't answer immediately as he continued on his food—which he seemed pretty fond of. "I'm alive, aren't I?" Kazuya finally said.

"Are you?"

"What are you going on about?" Kazuya asked with a confused look.

"When you first came here a few days ago, you looked completely defeated—as if whatever it was you were trying to do was a lost cause."

"Well aren't you really nosy," Kazuya said backing his chair up from the table and standing up—he had emptied his plate. "I'm finished here."

"I don't mean to pry, but since you're trying so hard to be distant, I thought it was only natural, don't you think?"

"No. Obviously, I don't want to talk."

"Before you storm off to your room—I have some things to tell you. Please sit."

With a frown, he sat back down at the seat—Jinpachi _had_ just fed him; he at least owed him this much.

"I'd like to go over a few rules."

"Hmph, rules."

"You've probably had more than your share of rules in the past, but I'm sure you understand that they are simply a part of life. That being said, these are more like guidelines. I'm not going to punish you if you decide to ignore them, nothing bad will happen—

"Then how can you call them rules?"

"When you're here, that's how it will be."

"Right. I guess I'll see if it's the truth in the future, won't I?"

"These are the rules: We must eat dinner together at this time during the weekdays. You must go to bed before midnight. And, since you will be going to school, you also must do your homework every night."

"I don't want to go to school."

"Now Kazuya, you have to at least educate yourself."

"No, that's not what I mean. It's just…I don't think I can handle being around so many other kids. If one of your rules is going to school, I can tell you now that I won't do it."

"That's no problem. I think I understand. How do you feel about being homeschooled?" Jinpachi asked. Seeing the other's questioning expression, he explained further, "Homeschooling is when it will only be you and a tutor—your teacher. You'll still get the benefit of education, but without the added pressure of other students."

"I'll do it."

"I'll have to find a suitable tutor, but it can be done."

"Since we're on this subject of what's gonna' happen next, I have something to ask of you?"

"And what's that?"

"Train me."

Jinpachi looked away when Kazuya said this, "You don't have to do that anymore. I know your father forced you day after day to do something you really had no interest in. I don't intend to continue in that tradition. Just because you're a Mishima doesn't mean you're obligated to do that sort of thing—in fact, perhaps it's better that you don't."

"This has nothing to do with some leftover commitment to my father's wishes—I _want_ to train, it is something that I _must_ do. You look pretty strong—I'm sure you must have trained my father when he was younger; I want you to do the same for me."

"The look in your eyes…You really do want to do this. You have some type of goal?"

"Yes," Kazuya responded, but he did not elaborate and Jinpachi asked no further.

"I'll think about it," Jinpachi said finally.

"Grandfather, I—

"Education comes first. When I see that you're doing well in that area, then I will train you."

"Deal."

"Is that all that you wanted? Maybe you might want to try your hand at some other skills?"

"No."

"Alright, well, that's all I wanted to speak with you about. Regretfully, I'll be hard to reach most days—Tekken Zaibatsu is just now budding into greatness and I have to make sure things are moving smoothly. That is why dinner is so important; it will be perhaps the only time we'll have to talk or at least see each other."

"If most of your time is spent doing that…"

"Don't worry, if you hold your side of the deal, I'll hold mine. I won't have much to teach you. In the end, the only person who can improve your technique is yourself."

"So I'll be basically doing it on my own."

"Not entirely. I'll still check on you when I can to monitor your progress and give you direction on what you need to improve on. That is really all that you need."

"Alright."

"You have a good night. I have an early start tomorrow," Jinpachi said standing up now.

When Jinpachi stood, Kazuya was reminded of how small he was. Not only was Jinpachi tall, he was also very muscular even more so than his father. In fact, Jinpachi's stature was far more intimidating than that of his father, but Kazuya was far more at ease with Jinpachi. His grandfather wasn't against smiling. He gave Kazuya a brief one before he went up to his room. Kazuya watched his giant of a grandfather leave in silent awe. He had the same genes as him and his father—wasn't he then destined be as powerful and accomplished as they? Only time would tell.

/

When he climbed into his bed that night, he couldn't fall immediately asleep. This was probably because he had already slept for three days straight and was no longer tired. The bed that he laid on was more than anything he had ever expected to experience. The mansion that he now called his home was bigger than he had ever imagined living in. His grandfather was far nicer than he had expected. Could he step out on a limb and say that this was good fortune? Even as he still held hatred towards his father, this was first time in a while that he could relax. It was the first time he could truly see his future.

"Devil?" Kazuya asked to the darkness around him.

"Yes?" Devil spoke wearily as if he were tired.

Kazuya was a little surprised despite himself to hear the same sinister voice from before. Again he had been strangely silent ever since the day Mr. Hiroshi had found him.

"What happened to you?"

"You act as if you really don't know."

"I don't."

"You don't remember what you did to me back there," Devil said in a frustrated voice, "All of that…and you have simply forgotten?"

"You're speaking in riddles."

"I don't especially like to recount such events in which I was made powerless."

"Just tell me."

"It was a fluke," Devil said as if it was the most ridiculous conclusion he could come to. "I had full control. For a fleeting second, I felt that I had fully controlled your body. However…that good part of yourself—the part which I had annihilated for your own good—sprang up from out of nowhere for no better reason than to save your precious friends—the same friends who had only slowed you down. Had I not been there, you might have killed yourself with your half-assed plan to carry both of them out. Yes, it was _I _who had to save you once again from your own demise. Those _friends_ of yours almost stole away the only thing which you care about now. And now you sit there saying you don't remember any of this."

"I'm glad…they're safe."

"Oh, really. They don't even deserve to live—especially that Becky girl vying for your attention. I hated her the most."

"What about Benjamin?"

"Even _you_ would have had no trouble with killing him without any enticement from me—and don't tell me that wasn't true."

"From what you told me, I carried him out of the fire. I don't think…I really hated him."

"Bah! Stop lying to yourself!"

"I think I liked you better when you were just quiet."

"I bet you did. I don't especially feel like talking now. This is a good time, however, to begin molding you when you're at your most vulnerable."

"I'm not vulnerable—I will never again put myself in that kind of situation."

"Easier said than done. I can sense that you're far more relaxed here—far more susceptible to my thoughts."

"You're saying…?"

"If you really plan on keeping up this little game of yours, you best keep your guard up. I _will_ have your soul soon enough and there will be no more need to talk like this to you."

"We'll see, demon."

"Oh, we will."


	11. Painful Reunion

Chapter 11: Jun's World (A Painful Reunion)

"Mommy, I wanna' train too," Jun said to her mother one day.

Her mother had just come home from work and had sat down to watch some television. She smiled at her sweet daughter and placed a warming hand on her head.

"Now where did all of this come from?"

"Well, how can I help people if I can't even defend myself?"

"Jun, this wouldn't have anything to do with that boy?"

Jun gave her an innocent look. "The only thing he ever does is fight all day so the only way I can spend any time with him is if I say I can fight too—then we could train together!"

"Jun, honey, it isn't that simple."

"Yes it is," she said enthusiastically.

"Who's to say he'll want to train with you even if you can keep up? Maybe his father doesn't want you to."

"Once he sees that I can be really helpful, he'll _have_ to let me train with him."

"Jun…"

"Please! Train me!"

"Oh, alright."

"Will it be really intense?"

"Training doesn't have to be hard. It isn't just meant to be painful—it is meant to be a balance of pain and satisfaction. Alright, I'll teach you the basics. I guess I haven't really been keeping up that well either."

And so the Kazama-style Karate commenced the very next day and she started Jun off with the basics—light weight training and learning technique. It was the perfect excuse for mother and daughter to spend more quality time. While Jun was a fast learner and had a purpose in mind, she found herself completely relaxed. They would joke and carry on as if they were spending their time in the park rather than the gym. After a month of training, Jun finally began to develop her skill as she practiced molding all the techniques she had learned into powerful combinations of attacks. Soon the mother found herself simply watching her daughter in awe. Perhaps she really could accomplish what she set out to do.

When Jun felt she was ready, she set off to Heihachi's mansion after school (she currently attended pre-school). Her mom was supposed to go with her, but she had snuck out of the house. She searched for them in their usual spot in the big field behind the mansion, but then she eyed another building off to the side and decided to see if they were there. She didn't bother checking the main house as they would never be there at this time of day. She jogged cheerfully through the large field until she arrived at the place she wanted and knocked on the door. No one came to the door. Then she knocked again. Jun was faced with the same result.

"Hey! Is anyone in there!" Jun shouted as she banged at the door now.

"If it isn't Jun, our happy-go-lucky neighbor," said an older man's voice.

Jun turned suddenly to the new voice. She wasn't sure when he had gotten there without her knowing, but she didn't dwell on that fact. "You're Heihachi."

"That's correct. Now what brings you here?"

"I came to train with Kazuya. I've been training too, you know, and I know I could keep up."

"The sad part is, you probably could—even a girl could best that little shrimp," Heihachi replied while shaking his head in pity, "However, it looks like you came all this way for nothing. Your 'friend' has had a terrible accident—I'm afraid he's dead."

"What?" Jun said with surprise.

"What's wrong? You don't understand what 'death' is either?"

"No…that's not it," Jun replied with a shaky voice. "Just like that…he's gone. I'm too late. If I had come here yesterday…What happened? Did he get too exhausted or something?"

"He slipped and fell," Heihachi said.

This was the first time he had tried this excuse on anyone and he wondered if she would buy it.

Jun gave him a disbelieving look. "So he slipped…and fell. From where?"

"From a cliff, of course."

"Of course?" Jun asked wondering how anyone would automatically jump to the conclusion of a cliff.

Heihachi frowned at her.

"What was he doing on a cliff and why did he get so close to the edge of it? Who does that?" Jun shook her head, "Kazuya wouldn't do that."

"Oh, and suddenly _you_ know Kazuya so well. It's amazing what you find out once someone's dead, isn't it?"

"Well, Kazuya isn't dead."

"What?" Now it was Heihachi's turn to become confused. "What do you mean?"

"Because slipping and falling isn't enough to kill someone like Kazuya off—that's _if_ he even slipped."

Heihachi laughed at her naiveté, "Do yourself a favor and go home."

Jun stood her ground for a moment longer before leaving. When she got home, she never stopped crying. The only thing that had comforted her was the cat she had saved from the street and kept sheltered in the forest. It was because she kept visiting him that she had come upon Kazuya once again on that fateful day, though drastically changed. That had been enough though. It was enough to know that he was alive…but he wasn't well.

She regretted everyday her cowardice when she had ran away from him when he needed her most. When she also heard that Jinpachi had not given up hope on his grandson, she told him everything she knew about Kazuya. She knew he was alive, but he was still gone. Days felt like weeks as she continued with her school and perfecting her Karate style.

Then one day, finally Kazuya existed once again. She had received a call from Jinpachi himself that Kazuya was alive and well and that he would be living with him from now on. Jun was ecstatic. Now that Kazuya was out from under Heihachi's heavy hand, she might even be able to visit him without having to train with him.

She waited a few days before she made herself known. Jinpachi had mentioned that it would take him a bit to adjust to normal living. What semblance of it he had had back when he was perhaps three was probably by now all forgotten. Even if her face was familiar, she had not wanted to make anything harder than it needed to be—so she was patient.

Eventually she found herself knocking on the giant front door of Jinpachi's mansion. It wasn't Jinpachi who answered it, but the doorman.

"Um, hi, I'm Jun. I wanted to visit Kazuya."

"Ah, yes, Jinpachi said you might be visiting today. He's probably in his room. I'll take you to him."

Jun followed the man (who seemed to be both a doorman and an escort) as he smoothly guided her through a maze of stairs and rooms. The door was closed when they arrived at his room and the doorman/escort left Jun immediately possibly to return to his previous post. Now that she was here in front of his door, she felt a little nervous. How would he be like now? Her mind kept returning to the last time she had seen him. He had been so different then. Would he really want to see her now? Wasn't she just a nuisance to him now? Jun shook her head when she began to doubt in her validity of being there. There really was no time for that kind of thinking—not now. She had made it so far. She had been patient. Now was her time. Even if he rejected her, she promised herself that there would be no hard feelings.

She knocked on the door lightly and then with more force. Both times he did not come to the door. Finally, with a sigh, she turned the doorknob which, to her surprise, was open. The door opened quietly and she stepped in. Her eyes automatically went to Kazuya. He sat in one of the two windowsills that were in the room. This one was large enough to fit a small child in and he had the blinds rolled all the way up so his view to the outside world was unobstructed.

"Kazuya…?" Jun spoke almost at a whisper.

He seemed to have a rather faraway look on his face as he gazed through the window. When she was close enough, she tried getting his attention again.

"What are you looking at?"

"Isn't it beautiful…Grandfather's garden?" Kazuya said as if he were talking to himself.

Jun walked up a little closer to get a better view, "Wow, it really is. There are so many colors."

"And so many different varieties."

Jun glanced over at his desk nearby and noticed a letter. Since Kazuya didn't seem to be paying much attention to her, she picked it up and began reading it.

"Hm, who's this Becky," Jun said quietly.

Then she heard some movement behind her and she quickly turned to the source of it. Kazuya had climbed out of the window and had only then set his eyes on the other.

"Ah, Jun, of course it had to be you," Kazuya said after looking her over.

"And what does that mean?" Jun asked slightly perturbed.

"Who else in the world would bother coming to visit me?"

Jun's eyes softened when he said this. Maybe there was still a chance…maybe they could still be friends. "You don't mind do you?"

"It doesn't matter one way or the other if you suddenly feel the urge to visit. But what does matter…is that letter you're holding," Kazuya said advancing upon her, "You have no business with it."

Jun sidestepped when he was close enough still holding the letter. "Oh _this_ letter," Jun asked teasingly. She held it up and shook it playfully towards him.

He grabbed for it again, but she evaded just as easily with a small laugh, "You'll have to chase me for it."

"Jun, I'm not playing around. Give it here already!"

"Chase me."

"No."

"Suit yourself then." Jun held the piece of paper up and began reading a line of it aloud. "'Kazuya, I guess I can say this 'cus I'm just writing it, but I really really like you' Oooo, you lovebirds!"

"Out of all the sentences, you choose _that_ one—that's not even the main point. Stop reading it out of context!"

"Make me."

"I'm not gonna' chase you."

"Okay, next line."

Suddenly, Jun felt herself being tackled to the ground with surprising force—she hadn't even seen him coming in that one moment when she had looked down to read. Jun rolled over to her stomach with her hands underneath so she could keep the letter unattainable. She felt him over top of her trying to pull her off the floor. When this didn't work, he tried to push from the side. He did this with more fervor and she was successfully pushed over, but she slipped the letter under her back just as Kazuya thought that he had her cornered. And suddenly they were rolling all over the floor, one trying to take advantage of the other.

"You're not gonna' get it," Jun said breathlessly, "'cus you won't chase me."

"Jun, stop playing around. I don't want to chase you—I just want the letter."

He grabbed for it again when she held it teasingly in his view, but he was a lot quicker than last time and his hand got ahold of a part of the paper. Jun had been holding it betwixt her two fingers rather firmly. When the bottom and top part of the sheet was pulled in separate directions, the inevitable occurred—it ripped. It was a rather fast event and neither of them saw it coming. Jun was mute as Kazuya stared at his half of the letter in utter disbelief as if it was impossible for papers to rip, as if it was meant to be indestructible.

When Jun saw his shoulders drop, she stepped over, picked up one of his motionless hands and gently placed the other half in it. "Paper can always be taped back together."

He put the two halves on top of one another and then ripped them in half once again and then repeated the process over and over until they were little squares.

"Kazuya!" Jun said with surprise.

"It was trash anyways."

"But that really seemed like a heartfelt letter. I think…she really wanted to get through to you."

"If _you_ felt so strongly about it, maybe you shouldn't have played around with it like it was some cheap toy."

"Are you trying to punish me? I really don't get you."

"No, I wouldn't waste my time."

There was no trash can anywhere nearby so he simply sprinkled the lined yellow pieces of paper on the carpet. Jun sat down in front of where he sat on the floor.

"Listen, if you liked her back, it's okay to—

"I never liked her."

"You might have or else you wouldn't have kept it."

"I forgot to throw it away."

Before Kazuya even knew it, he found himself being embraced wholeheartedly by Jun. His arms twitched once to return the favor, but he stopped himself. It became hard to breath as if his throat was closing up, as if it were some allergic reaction to her closeness.

"Jun…that's enough…just let go of me," Kazuya managed.

She didn't seem to listen; she only seemed to hold him tighter. She only suspected something was wrong when he began convulsing.

"Kazuya!"

She pinned him to the ground quickly and firmly and held him there until he stilled after a few minutes.

"Kazuya! What's—

"You should leave."

He wasn't even looking at her any longer. His head was turned to one side as he looked towards the bedpost. Jun, of course, did not pull back—not until she knew fully what was happening. However, she had not expected Kazuya to have enough strength to toss her off and he did so at that moment.

"Go!"

"You don't really want me to leave," Jun said looking squarely at him.

"No…but _that's_ the problem. Before, when you came in, I hated you, just like I hate every other person. But just now…it was different—so that's why you must leave."

"Kazuya, you know that doesn't make sense. All you're doing is contradicting yourself and stuff. I'm gonna' stay awhile longer. Is that alright?"

Kazuya blinked back twice at her forwardness. "Um...yes…I mean, no."

"Pick one," Jun said simply as she stepped forward.

But she found that she couldn't come any closer—it was as if some strange, invisible barrier surrounded him. She wasn't entirely certain what it was until she tried to overcome it. Then images began flashing through her mind, they came so quickly that she had no idea what to make of them—she only knew that there was something evil about them, but she didn't want to run; not like last time. She forced her way through. That was when she saw the red eyes; not from Kazuya himself but in her mind. The desire to run was even stronger now, but still she held her ground.

And Kazuya seemed in pain. He had backed up from her slowly in the beginning, but when he realized that Jun would not be retreating—he stopped bothering with it. There was really no emotion on his face that would even suggest pain, but Jun had seen the way he clutched at his chest—as if there was something there and indeed there was. The scar which had never bothered him before felt at that moment as if something was trying to rip it back open again. It was so much so that he thought it might have been bleeding by now, but nothing of the sort occurred. Jun continued to approach him until she was able to place one hand on his shoulders—and that was enough. He could no longer fight the weakness and Kazuya soon found himself on the floor despite himself.

"Kazuya…"

But she saw as he silently cringed in a pain that Jun was unsure of where it came from or the source of it was. Jun decided that she would lie down beside him despite the fact that the images had never stopped, despite feeling as if someone was pounding her head in with a hammer. Even her vision began to fade so she could no longer make out Kazuya's face.

"My mommy said….that if you pretend to close your eyes long enough, you'll eventually fall asleep no matter what," Jun said in a tiny voice that tried to sound loud enough so that Kazuya could hear.

"You know what my father said? Only weaklings cry."

Jun was surprised to notice that moisture had sprung to her eyes—it was her usual reaction when it came to such tedious pain. She wiped them away despite herself.

"I won't cry," Jun said defiantly.

"I think I'll try…your method," he said referring to her previous advice.

Kazuya knew instinctively that she was the reason for the position he found himself in and it worsened the longer she stayed near him. What was stranger was the fact that he had heard no protests from Devil. After all, it was Devil who wanted to use his body for its own gain. At that moment, it had remained unresponsive.

Jun too knew that Kazuya was the cause of her current headache, but he had not demanded that she leave and she didn't. Despite knowing that she would feel much better if she simply left, she stayed in his presence; as long as she knew that she was wanted, she was willing to stay awhile longer.

"Kazuya?" she asked for reassurance, "Did you want me to leave?"

Bur she heard no answer. Perhaps he had already fallen asleep. Wanting more warmth, she moved in closer to him—she heard no objections. Then she placed her head near his chest so that she could hear his heartbeat. When she listened, it sounded as if someone was knocking frantically on a door—his heart was practically racing. She pulled a little closer and still she heard no complaint. Eventually, she too fell asleep.

An angel and a demon found themselves in each other's presence, finding solace only in the other's warmth, despite the contradiction. They were both immensely uncomfortable, but neither of them wanted to separate.

Later into the night, Jinpachi came to check in on Kazuya. He smiled when he saw the scene before him and quietly shut the door again as he walked out.


	12. Small Discoveries

Chapter 12: Small Discoveries (Devil's Dormancy)

Jun was the first one to awake the next morning. When she looked over at Kazuya she decided that he was too deeply asleep to risk waking. It was then that she noticed that their positions had changed at some point in the night. Kazuya was laying on his back now and she had been using his stomach as a pillow. It probably hadn't been the softest "pillow" she had felt before. In fact, it was more hard than soft and marked by the firm ridges of his abdominal muscles. She found that he breathed easily now and that his heart was no longer racing. She noticed, as she carefully got up so as not to disturb him, that her headache was gone—it was as if it had never been there before.

She looked around his room for a moment. He really didn't have any belongings. There were a few shirts and pants in the closet and other necessary undergarments in the drawer, but there was nothing special. Nothing that is until she peered under his bed and found an untouched shoebox sitting there. Curious, she crawled under the bed to get a hold of it and pulled it forth. Sensing that this was probably personal, she stood up and looked over the bed at Kazuya to make sure he was still asleep. Satisfied, she proceeded to opening the glossy blue lid that had a large check engraved on the top of it. She was impressed with what she found inside of it. The tennis shoes looked rather expensive—she wondered how Kazuya had ever gotten his hands on something like that. She thought back to the shoes he normally wore and wondered why now he would suddenly take such an interest in buying these—he just wasn't concerned with that sort of thing. Then again, maybe they were a present from Jinpachi or something. That would explain why they were virtually untouched. Or maybe…it was something else altogether. Maybe it was a keepsake. Then suddenly, the hairs on the back of her neck began to stand up as she sensed that there was another presence behind her. She turned her head and found that it was Kazuya who had just woken, but had done so in the same silent manner that he did most other things.

"You're always looking at things you shouldn't," Kazuya said before she could open her mouth.

"You don't mind, do you?" Jun said innocently.

"I should be angry…but I'm not."

"What does that mean? If you're not angry, then that means you shouldn't be," Jun said simply as she put the top back on. "Anyways, it's really pretty, those shoes."

"A friend gave it to me as a parting gift."

"This friend wouldn't happen to be Becky, would it?" Jun took Kazuya's silence to be a "yes". "Well don't be stupid and throw it away, okay. They're really pretty."

"I wasn't planning on doing that," he said shaking his head once.

"You gonna' wear 'em?"

"No. Why would I do that?"

"To show your appreciation."

"The only thing you can do with shoes once you put them on is make them dirty. How is that 'showing appreciation'?"

"Oh, I get it," Jun said with a smile as she pushed the shoebox back under the bed, "That's really sweet."

"Aren't you late for something?" Kazuya questioned the other.

"Late…? You trying to get rid of me?"

"Don't you go to school or something?"

"Oh crap," Jun said in a completely alarmed voice, "I completely forgot about that. How did I just _do_ that! My mom's gonna' be so upset if I miss school!"

Jun was suddenly in such a rush that a nice wind swept past Kazuya as she sped out of the room. Kazuya himself was a little astonished by her unexpected spurt of energy. He peered out of his room and saw that she was completely gone. Then he simply closed the door so he could retain the utter quietness from before.

He sat down on the carpet beside his bed and pulled the virtually untouched shoebox out once again. Jun had posed an interesting question. Shouldn't he wear them? Wasn't that why Becky had given it to him? But even as he asked them to himself, he knew the answer. Wearing them would be like admitting that he actually had felt something towards her—at least this was how he saw it in his mind. Of course, he hadn't the slightest inclination towards her and he had shown zero interest yet he found himself sitting there thinking along those lines. No, he wouldn't wear them, ever. He slid the box back under his bed. It was the only object left that was proof of Becky's existence. As for Benjamin, there was nothing. Kazuya wasn't really troubled by this fact, however. He knew that if he were alive, he'd live a much more fulfilling (not to mention less painful) life if it had nothing to do with him.

When he climbed back on to his bed and laid back on it, he wondered what he should be doing now. Jinpachi hadn't told him anything about the tutor yet—maybe finding one was harder than he had thought. With no tutor meant that he wasn't getting any closer to training.

"Devil?" Kazuya called out, but it never answered back. "I thought you'd have something to say about all of this." But Devil remained silent. "That's weird," he said to himself.

Kazuya remembered speaking to Devil the other day. Even then, it had sounded a bit worn out and it _had_ mentioned that it didn't feel like talking any longer. Could that then be the reason? Kazuya doubted this though. When Devil was completely silent it often meant that something wasn't right. Kazuya wasn't really all that upset—whatever was wrong, he hoped that it would continue. Maybe he'd never have to hear from Devil ever again.

Then there was a knock on the door.

"Yes?" Kazuya said with a raised voice so it could reach past the door.

"Mr. Takahashi," the man said simply.

"I don't know you."

"I wouldn't expect you would. Jinpachi thought you might be bored today and he asked if I might see to it that you're not."

"You're some kind of babysitter?"

"Not at all. May I come in, Mr. Mishima?"

"Fine," Kazuya said finally after a long pause.

He sat up in his bed as he watched the man open the door for himself. The way he was dressed, the man reminded him of Mr. Hiroshi. Perhaps they were the same person. Mr. Takahashi seemed unperturbed by Kazuya's glare and gave the other a smile—one that put off Kazuya for a split second. Kazuya had tried this same glare out on a mob of idiotic kids not too long ago and they had been too scared to respond. Whoever this Mr. Takahashi guy was, he seemed surprisingly prepared for Kazuya's callousness.

"Would you like to go shopping?"

"Shopping?"

"I'm sure you'd like to buy something for yourself for a change," Mr. Takahashi said as he walked over to Kazuya's walk-in closet, "Perhaps some clothes and shoes. Maybe you'd like some music and a stereo system to play your music on, some posters for the wall. If you like, you could even buy a device that can access the internet—you could learn a lot from there. You might be into videogames—perhaps you could buy a game system. Or maybe you have other hobbies."

Kazuya didn't know why, but shopping seemed rather intriguing even if he didn't know half the things Mr. Takahashi was talking about. What exactly were posters and stereo systems or even the internet? Music would have been a lost cause if he had not been forced to sit through the kiddy songs that Ms. Ando would sometimes have the class sing—that was as far as his knowledge of music went.

Mr. Takahashi saw the look of puzzlement on Kazuya's face and shook his head. "As they say, the best way to learn is through experience. It's time you got acquainted with the real world," he said with another brimming smile. "What do you say? Do you want to do something other than nothing today?"

Mr. Takahashi made a valid point. "Alright…but I don't know where to do this shopping."

"No worries. That's why I'm here."

/

Kazuya had never been in a store so large. Mr. Takahashi referred to it as a mall. While Kazuya had gone with Takahashi to get the most practical things, clothes, he found himself perusing in stores that had nothing to do with that. Ironically, the first store that caught his eyes was the one with brightly colored toys. First of all, Kazuya wasn't certain what toys were so Takahashi had to explain this to him as well. Kazuya ended up buying nothing at all since none of the items could hold his interest for long. There were similar occurrences in a plethora of other stores. There were more toy stores as well and all of them seemed to have action figures in them (or Barbie dolls if it was a girly store) and Kazuya never understood the point of them even after Mr. Takahashi explained its significance.

"But they're obviously not real—it's just plastic."

"It might help if you actually knew some of these characters and have some reason to admire them or to simply collect them. Children your age don't simply buy them just to look at them on a desk—you _pretend_ that they're real."

"Well, what happens when you pretend like it's real and it's not?"

Mr. Takahashi sighed exasperatedly, "It also takes some imagination which apparently you don't have. Perhaps an example might explain it better?" he said in a questioning tone as walked over to a set of action figures which were on display.

Mr. Takahashi suspected that the owner of the store wouldn't like the action figures being messed around with since this was more of a collector's store, but he wasn't too concerned about this fact since this probably wouldn't take long.

"See this person?" Mr. Takahashi asked as Kazuya came over to him, "His name is Tygra—I'll be him. He's a member of the ThunderCats, a warrior by default, a scientist, can turn himself invisible and uses a large bolo whip."

"He's a scientist?" Kazuya questioned, "He doesn't look like one."

"Oh? And what does a scientist look like?"

Kazuya shrugged, "I don't know, but he doesn't look like one."

"How many scientists are also part tiger?" Takahashi said with a grin, "Or Thunderian for that matter."

"Point taken," Kazuya said. He assumed "Thunderian" referred to the ThunderCat theme.

"Now, this is Lion-O," Takahashi said pointing to the ThunderCat with a sword beside him. "You can be him. He's known as the Lord of the ThunderCats. He uses the Sword of Omen, a Claw Shield, and a gauntlet that launches grappling lines from its claws and deflects rays."

"Lots of extra stuff. Isn't he a lion? Can't he use his own claws and teeth?"

"That's not the point. He's not any normal lion. He's supposed to be more civil than that. Besides, he's more like you than you think."

"I don't think I'd feel like lugging around a sword and two shields all the time."

"Not those things—his position. His father Claudus was the previous Lord of ThunderCats; Lion-O was destined to take his place by pure heredity. He also had to prove himself worthy through the Anointment Trials."

"I still don't see where you're going with this."

"What do you think Jinpachi is so busy with? Before you, there was no heir to the ownership of the Tekken Zaibatsu because he had wanted to keep ownership within his family. Just like Lion-O, you are destined to take his place through heredity. And similar to the Anointment Trials, your grandfather will probably want to see if you are worthy before ever asking you to take his place."

"Wait a minute, what about my father?"

"He knew instinctively that his own son was a poor choice. Anyone could plainly see that his son was spoiled and selfish and he has grown into a person who quite frankly has no one but his own interest at heart—that is not how any corporation can be run."

Kazuya thought about what Jun had said about his father on the first day they met:

"_Can I come in?"_

"_No, I can't just let you in. I don't think…I'm allowed to."_

"_Really? Your dad says?"_

"_No, but, I mean, I'm sure he'd say no…"_

"_Alright, well, I don't want you to be in trouble."_

"_I'm sorry, but it would be dangerous. Don't come and visit. This time _I_ answered the door—next time could be my father."_

"_Oh, I get it. Your father is evil."_

She had said it so easily then as if people being evil was a common part of life—perhaps she knew more about the world than he did. At first, Kazuya might have defended his father, but now…

"Do you think…my father is evil and that's why Grandfather didn't see him as an heir?"

"Well, your father…"

"I don't really care what you say about him—you don't have to walk on eggshells."

Kazuya wondered where he had learned the phrase "walking on eggshells" and realized that his father had accused him of doing that on a few occasions. Back then, he hadn't known entirely what it meant, but now it made perfect sense and he supposed that that had been the case when he was in his father's presence.

"Are you sure?" Takahashi asked genuinely concerned about Kazuya's feelings

"Go for it."

"Your father wasn't even supposed to come up today—at least that is what your grandfather asked of me and yet I find myself on that very subject. I've worked with your father on many occasions…and yes, I can say that there is something truly evil about him if one is allowed to use that word to describe a person. He excels at making others feel like nothing and he punishes those who do not give him results."

"And what do you think of me?" Kazuya asked since they were on the subject. Ever since Devil had first introduced itself to him, Kazuya decided right then and there that he was evil and that he needed to isolate himself.

"What do you mean?"

"As in, do you think the same of me?"

Takahashi smiled at the other, "Of course not. Don't worry; you're not anything like your father. I would say a little rough around the edges, but that's to be expected."

"…Really?"

"Trust me, Kazuya, you're not 'evil' as you say. Now, I _was_ in the middle of explaining something."

"Oh, right, Lion-O and Tygra. Are they enemies? Can we have them fight each other?"

"That's more like it—some imagination. Unfortunately, they're not enemies."

"Can they still fight anyways?"

"Alright fine, but first we must say a few words before jumping into a fight. I'll start," Takahashi said as he cleared his throat. "_I've been your loyal follower for all these years and _this _is how it ends up?_"

Kazuya was slightly confused about all of this, but he thought of something to say anyways—this subject was certainly down his alley. "Why'd you change your voice up like that?"

"I'm trying to be in character."

"Right," Kazuya said, but he knew he wasn't going to bother with that. "Here goes: "_There's no need to be surprised—you should've seen this coming. Didn't you see the signs?_"

"_I never question your methods even if they might have seemed suspicious—I knew without a doubt that I could trust you._"

"_How wrong you were. I'd rather this be a quick affair—if that makes you feel any better._"

"_I see you really mean to do this. Is there no convincing you otherwise? Isn't there something I could do?_"

"_Begging makes you weak. There is nothing you can do._"

"_If that really is the case, then you leave me no choice._"

Takahashi took the bolo whip that had been placed on the table beside the Tygra he was holding and placed it in one of the figure's rather small clutched hands. Kazuya couldn't help but snort at the ridiculousness of the whole thing especially when he had to do the same thing except that he had to put on a sword _and _a shield. It was easy to see what would happen next. It wasn't as if Takahashi could have made Tygra use the whip properly and Kazuya was stuck with a figure with immobile arms so their "battle" looked more like they were just trying to tackle each other.

"Obviously Lion-O is gonna' win because he's cheating."

"Cheating?"

"A sword against a whip…seriously? Why couldn't we use characters that just use their hands? Wouldn't that be fairer?"

"I see. I guess ThunderCats isn't for you. What about Dragon Ball Z? They always use their fists and they actually look human."

Takahashi had noticed that DBZ figures were next to ThunderCats and had pointed them out if for nothing more, but convenience.

"You're talking about those spikey hair people over there?" Kazuya said pointing. "I guess."

"So, now you see why people would buy them. Are you interested?"

"It's amusing, but it's not something I would want to do all that often."

"Alright, well, take as long as you like here."

Kazuya and Takahashi soon left the toy stores and went for something a little more practical like the electronic stores. They actually did buy a few things from there especially since kkTakahashi would go on and on about how "snazzy" it was or how "everyone else" had this or that. One of the main things that Takahashi convinced Kazuya to get was a stereo system after telling him what it was for. Of course, that meant that he would also have to buy some music—and Kazuya had no idea what he was getting himself into. If someone were to ask him what kind of music he liked, he mostly likely would have responded with a shrug. But not to worry, Takahashi to the rescue—he easily matched Kazuya's personality with music that he might actually enjoy. Kazuya ended up with at least two stacks of CDs all of which he_ had_ to listen to according to Takahashi.

Kazuya was only glad when they got to the part about clothes. The only things that Kazuya understood buying were clothes and food—anything else was considered extra. He did not, however, completely miss the fact that he was supposed to be splurging on shopping at the moment. Takahashi seemed far too ready to suggest something he should get. There were many clothing stores and they managed to go to all of them while getting at least ten outfits from each one of them.

But there was one particular kind of store that actually caught Kazuya's attention. When he saw it, it was Takahashi who had to follow behind Kazuya—it was, of course, the athletic footwear store. And he spent hours on end in that store making even the patient Takahashi a little irritated. Takahashi watched in interest as Kazuya studied every single shoe on the shelf before finally saying at the end, that he wanted all of them.

"Wait a minute, Kazuya, you're not serious, are you?"

"You'll probably never see me crack a joke. I want all of them."

"But some of them are not in your size."

"They're all in men's 8, aren't they? That's the size that I want."

"Those are way too big for—

"I'm not trying to wear them, Takahashi. I just want them."

"Oh, I get it now," Takahashi said with a knowing smile on his face. "So you _do_ like collecting things…just not action figures."

Needless to say, this was perhaps the highlight of this entire affair. In fact, one might even go as far as to say that Kazuya was in a good mood. Imagine. The whole time, however, Kazuya was wary. His mind kept going back to the orphanage and what had occurred there. He didn't know much, but he knew that he was at fault for its destruction. There was a span of time which was completely unknown to him—he was missing the most pivotal events. He was almost certain that at that very time, Devil had taken full control. It was a chilling thought—one that he found himself dwelling on. If Devil could gain access so easily, how exactly was he ever going to stop its progress? What if the last time he had apparently suppressed Devil's control, was a fluke? What if he couldn't repeat the same phenomenon? Even as he traversed the length of the mall, these things were still on his mind.

He was only half-amused at Takahashi's attempt at humor or how he tried to explain to him things that the "world" already knew about. Kazuya took it for what it was—informative. He'd acknowledge that these things existed just so he wouldn't be completely ignorant in the same way he had taken the time to learn how to read and write. There were certain things that Kazuya knew that he could not simply avoid—not if he was ever going to get to where he was going without a lot of unnecessary headaches. Simple things like the internet, posters, and technology should be the least of his worries.

Kazuya didn't like thinking about the future, but sometimes when he least expected it he would ask himself what exactly was he planning to do after he killed his father? Would his journey be over and he would then simply perish? What would his life become after what had driven him for so long is no longer there?

The fact is Kazuya feared the unknown and he had reason to. He knew his future included Devil especially since he had made up his mind a while ago that there probably wasn't any way to get rid of it. Lately, though, things had been quiet. It had been awhile since he heard Devil's ramblings and it hadn't even so much as laughed. Things were a little bit too quiet. He had called its name out several times before, but there had been no response. In fact, Kazuya could hardly even feel its presence. As the day grew to a close after a lot of unpacking, hanging up clothes, arranging shoes, and hanging up posters (surprising…)—Devil's presence became less and less obvious.

"Devil?" Kazuya whispered to the darkness that now surrounded him—it was bedtime. He lay on his back flatly. "You're up to something, aren't you?"

Kazuya waited and waited and still there was no response. It was then that he began to doubt that Devil even existed within him.


	13. Enter Lee Chaolan

Chapter 13: Enter Lee Chaolan

Kazuya woke up with absolutely nothing to do as usual. There was still no word of a tutor from his father and he had asked him about it for the past few dinners that they spent together. Jinpachi didn't seem overly concerned about this—he simply reassured Kazuya that he had someone very dedicated looking into it and that his education would start soon enough.

"What exactly is so hard about finding a tutor?" Kazuya asked on one of these occasions.

"Let's face it, Kazuya, you're not one of the easiest people to connect with on any sort of level and a tutor needs that kind of thing in order to teach you well. That person must be willing to put in a lot of effort and have patience if nothing else. The part which is truly making our search hard is the fact that I am looking for someone with substantial experience or if not that someone who has dealt with difficult situations."

"All of that is unnecessary," Kazuya said with a frown, "I told you, learning is something I _want_ to do so as long as this guy can talk and knows what he's talking about, I'll be fine."

"That won't be enough, trust me, Kazuya—you'll get bored with that pretty soon and take advantage of the situation."

"I wouldn't."

"You say that now. Remember, this isn't just a person you'll be seeing for a little while—you'll have to keep meeting with this person until 18. _That _is a long time to simply be listening to someone talk."

"For that long? ...I had no idea…"

"You thought you could just 'get this over with', right? No, this is certainly long-term. If you work hard, perhaps you could finish a little earlier than usual, but don't expect any more than that."

The very fact that education could take so long only added to Kazuya's annoyance at not already having one right now. He still did want to get this over with as soon as possible. The only thing he truly wanted was training and it seemed like there was one obstacle after another standing in his way.

Takahashi had not come over again since the last time. Kazuya didn't want to admit it, but he had hoped that that wouldn't be the case especially since on his own, he couldn't think of anything to do. His mind, in fact, was completely blank. If there wasn't training, he had nothing to think about. At some point in the morning after he was served breakfast by one of the housemaids, he went into the room beside his which held his budding collection of sneakers. He had managed to fill almost half of one wall.

It was the only form of entertainment he could come up with at the moment. While he was in the midst of examining each and every pair of sneakers (he had no idea how he was able to spend so much time on this), the doorman/escort came in and informed him that he had a visitor. Kazuya could already guess who it was, but he wasn't particularly upset about this fact. This time he opted to go with the doorman instead of waiting for him to bring someone back. Needless to say, it was Jun who had come to visit him once again in the afternoon after coming home from school. In fact, it must have been right after school because she still had her backpack on.

"Hi, Kazuya!" Jun said with enthusiasm that was a little uncommon even for her.

He nodded towards her in response.

"You want to come outside with me?"

"Why not?" Kazuya said after little more than a moment of contemplation.

He was unprepared for when she took up his hand and began to run in the direction of her house which was a ways down the street. Rather than complaining, Kazuya simply allowed her to lead him forth. Despite her frantic dashing, she was not out of breath when they made it to the front of her house.

"Jun, what exactly is going on?"

"You never told me you had a brother! Was it supposed to be a secret or something?"

"It's not a secret—I don't have a brother."

"But I saw him today in class. He's a new student and he claims to have just moved in to Heihachi's place."

"What?" Kazuya said with confusion, "I never heard of any brother. If he is, than that was a mystery to me as well. Hmph, I wouldn't be surprised either."

"Are you sure…you don't know him at all?"

"No," Kazuya said stolidly.

Jun looked at him with a flabbergasted expression.

"Well? What does he look like?"

"I guess he doesn't really look like you at all. He has this white hair and dark gray eyes."

"Doesn't sound like a Mishima at all."

"Umm, well, he was kinda' scary so I couldn't actually talk to him, but now that you're here we can go meet him no problem!"

"'Kinda scary?" Kazuya repeated in disbelief, "And what about me?"

"Ha, please! You're not scary at all. I don't know what happened in the woods that time, but I know it wasn't your fault. Besides, you're different from that now. I mean, the other day proves it. I'm glad you're not living with Heihachi anymore."

"Different?"

"Yeah. Now are you gonna' come with me or not?"

"I'm _not_ going to Heihachi's."

"What if he's outside? Then we won't have to knock on the door."

"Alright…but we have to make sure Heihachi's car isn't there."

"And if it's there?"

"You're on your own. Besides, you're the curious one."

"Oh c'mon, you have to be a little curious."

"I couldn't care less who decides they want to be my brother."

"Don't be such a sourpuss, let's go."

Again, Kazuya found himself following Jun and this time they were headed to Heihachi's place which was a little ways away. There was a lot of property to traverse through. Their first stop was the garage which had one car missing. Satisfied, Kazuya went with Jun confidently to the front door. Jun knocked enthusiastically and they waited there on the doorstep for nearly five minutes, before Kazuya lost interest.

"He's not here. What do you plan on doing now?"

"We're going to look around first before leaving. All this land, he doesn't _have_ to be inside."

"I know where to look first then," Kazuya said.

Jun looked at him questioningly but soon followed after Kazuya who was headed to the same field that he would meet his father at the crack of dawn. It was a bitter sweet feeling now that he found himself in the same place. He thought he'd feel—well, he didn't know how he would feel revisiting the very place that had started it all. While he clearly remembered the presence of the constant pain and belittlement, at the same time he recognized that this was also a time when he was carefree. There was no set goal, the world seemed bright and cheerful despite everything and most of all, he had been free to be himself. If someone were to ask him to describe himself, he would be at a loss of words. He just didn't know anymore and it wasn't a subject he liked to dwell on. The only thing he was certain of, the only thing that he could latch on to was his one true goal…

"Look, Kazuya, I think that's him," Jun said pointing in the distance.

And there he was indeed. He seemed quite peaceful laying there on his stomach reading a textbook that he laid in front of him. His chin rested on one hand and the other hand was poised to turn the page as soon as he was finished with. He swung his legs idly in the air indicating that he might have been enjoying whatever chapter he was reading.

"He really does have white hair," Kazuya said in low tones to Jun as they approached.

"Okay, let _me_ do the introductions. I doubt you're any good at that sort of thing."

"This was all your idea in the first place," Kazuya said simply.

Jun gave him a "whatever" look and then came to stand directly in front of Lee strategically blocking his sunlight. He only looked up in mild interest.

"Ah, the girl from my class. So you live nearby."

"Yep, we're neighbors. I thought since we're in the same class and you live so close that I'd visit."

"Such enthusiasm. If you were so eager, then why not introduce this morning?"

"Well, uh…"

"Listen," said Kazuya growing bored with the pace of their conversation, "This girl here is Jun. The fact that she's your neighbor means she will visit so get used to it. She couldn't say anything to you in class because obviously you were unapproachable. I'm Kazuya, the person who she just _had_ to drag along. There, now we're introduced."

"You're Kazuya? Kazuya Mishima?" Lee said with a hint of surprise.

"What of it?"

"See, he knows you, you guys are brothers!" Jun said excitedly.

"No, we're not," Kazuya retorted.

"Well not in a normal sense," Lee clarified. "I'm Lee Chaolan. I was recently adopted by your father, Kazuya. You're all he ever talks about really, but it doesn't bother me much. Heihachi has his own plans and I have mine—we hardly ever communicate. The only thing he wants of me is to become strong and well-educated."

"So he trains you," Kazuya stated.

"Without fail."

"But where is he now?"

"He's busy now, but at some point we do train together. Until that time, I study."

"That doesn't sound like him at all," Kazuya said in a disgusted tone. "Isn't there a set time? Don't you have to train for hours on end without rest? How are even able to go to school? And why do you act as if everything's so damn peachy?"

Lee only smiled at the other, "I'm grateful to have been adopted by someone who has such a vast amount of resources. I don't have anything to be upset about."

"You _will_ be upset, no, angry, disappointed as soon as my father shows his real colors."

"I think I know what you're talking about, but that seems to be reserved for his real son—the only one who he would put so much energy into. I'm more of an afterthought really. Like I said, it doesn't bother me much."

"Nothing bothers you, right? Do you know what that man is capable of," Kazuya said darkly, "If anything should bother you it should be him."

"Well, it seems that you and your father have a lot of unresolved issues. You know, he'll be back tonight, maybe you could talk to him then."

"I don't want to hear from that bastard, understand?"

"But why? If I were able to even so much as speak to my parents, I wouldn't hesitate."

"Your parents were not Heihachi—he should _already_ be rotting in the darkest corner of Hell."

"I don't pretend to really know someone I've only just met a few days ago, but if he's capable of adopting someone even if he does have his own agenda…then he's capable of love, don't you think?"

Jun didn't like the infuriated look that distorted Kazuya's face; his eyes were alight with fiery anger. It took a moment even for him to respond on account of his unseen clenched teeth.

"Don't ever…say that about my father again. It's disgusting…it's just disgusting. Heihachi does not 'love', he only 'hates' and 'destroys'. He does not love you—you are simply a pawn. He does not love me—I am just his disappointment. _That _kind of person is _in_capable of love. Do you understand?"

"I…think," Lee said cautiously. He was quite unprepared for the sudden onslaught of passionate anger, but he knew that he must have struck the wrong chord with his last statement.

"Tch, I'm leaving, I don't have time for this," Kazuya said as he turned from them.

"Wait, Kazuya, you can't just leave me here," Jun said, "Um, I thought…"

"I'm leaving. You can stay or leave."

Jun watched with a frown as the other stormed off in the opposite direction from them. She didn't dare follow him this time. The look on his face had thoroughly frightened her…he needed some space for now.

"Tell me. Is he always like that?" Lee asked when Kazuya was well out of earshot.

"Well…no, not really, but I guess so…"

"I don't understand."

Jun turned to Lee then, "Something…terrible happened between him and his father, I'm sure of it, but he's not ever going to tell anyone. Ever since that time, I guess he's been different. I think he's more like himself the further he is from this place. It's my fault really; I shouldn't have dragged him along. But, he's really a nice person, you know. You just have to get to know him."

"Right, I'm sure he is. I don't think we're going to get along, but _you_ on the other hand seem sensible enough. I wouldn't mind it if you visited more often—it does get a bit lonely around here especially when the other kids at school want to keep their distance."

"Sure, we could be friends…but Kazuya and I…we're friends too."

Lee sighed, "I don't want to bother with him any more than I have to."

"But how are you guys ever going to get along if you don't ever talk to each other."

"Jun, it would be nice if the world worked like that, but not everybody is going to like everybody."

"Is that your excuse? I swear, both of you are stubborn. At least you share _that_ in common."

"At least," Lee said with a grin. "Fine. I promise you I'll deal with him the best I can. But, Jun, my patience can only go so far."

"That's fine. 'Slong as we can play together."

"Hm, playing, you say?"

"You have a problem with that?"

"Not at all. It's just been a while since someone's asked me to do that. Maybe tomorrow then, I still have some reading to do."

"We didn't have any reading today."

"I know, but I like to stay ahead."

"Guess I know who to go to if I have any questions."

"Certainly."

If only Kazuya could be so accommodating, Jun thought to herself on her way back to her house, things would work out so much better. She hated to think what Kazuya was doing now all by himself with his own thoughts. Was he somewhere still fuming about what had happened that day? Was he surrounded by his own dark thoughts once again? Jun managed to convince herself to check in on Kazuya despite telling herself that she shouldn't wear out her welcome. She just couldn't help herself. She found herself knocking on his door.

"Can I see Kazuya?"

"A frequent visitor I see," said the doorman with a smile, "Well, do you know your way to his room?"

"Yes, I think so. Aren't you going to tell him I'm here first?"

"There's no need. It's nice to see that he's made such a good friend."

"I guess I'm the only one who visits, right?"

"As always. He's going to be homeschooled so he'll have even less contact with the real world. For his sake, I hope you do continue to visit."

The doorman moved out of her way and soon Jun was on her own as she climbed the many steps all the way up to Kazuya's room. The door was, as usual, closed, but it was also unlocked just like before.

"Go away," Kazuya proclaimed as soon as he heard the door open, he knew instinctively who it was.

"No," Jun said obstinately, "Not until you talk to me."

Kazuya was completely hidden under his covers in a futile attempt to block out Jun's very existence in his room.

"I'm going to take those covers off," Jun warned.

"Ha, you just try."

"I will," Jun said jumping on his bed much to Kazuya's surprise.

She pulled at the covers as hard as she could, but Kazuya's grip was deathly strong.

"Just quit it already and go home," Kazuya said with a muffled voice through the covers.

"I know, I'm gonna' tickle you."

"You wouldn't dare," Kazuya said in a serious tone.

"I will…unless you want to come out."

When she heard no response, her fingers went straight for his stomach. What she didn't know was that Kazuya was practically ticklish everywhere…there was really no way she could have gone wrong. And it was the first time she heard him laugh, but it sounded surprisingly natural. He tried to block her attacking hands, but Jun was quite resistant and evaded all the kicks he tried to dish out on her. It was pretty easy after that to yank the covers off as his body grew weak with laughter. The bed was large so as Kazuya tried to pull away from her, they managed to traverse the whole thing until he was trapped against the backboard.

"Okay…okay…enough already!" Kazuya managed through fits of laughter, "You've made…your point."

He was out of breath by then and Jun sat back with an amused expression on her face.

"Well, now I have a secret weapon," Jun said with an uncharacteristic mischievous smile. "Next time I want to talk to you and you refuse…be prepared."

Kazuya sat back on the backboard still gulping down precious air. He had to wipe the tears from his eyes, he was practically crying.

"So…Jun shows her true colors."

"Oh stop it, you enjoyed that, admit it."

"I'll admit no such thing. I _hate_ laughing. Now you have my attention." He still gripped his stomach which was quite sore, "What is it you wanted to say?"

"I want you to make an effort, Kazuya, to get along with Lee."

"What is this? You come into my room just to order me around? If I don't like someone, then that's all there is to it."

"But Lee promised me he'd do the same thing."

"Well then Lee can do what he wants—it doesn't matter to me. It's not like I'll ever go and see him again."

"Kazuya, it really sucks that you're trying to so hard to be…well, alone. Nobody wants to be that. Lee isn't so bad…he's really understanding."

"Why are you so fixated on _him_?"

"He's your brother!" Jun said as if it was obvious. "I know he's adopted and all, but c'mon! You can't just hate him 'cus your first meeting didn't go so well."

"No, Jun, it really is that simple."

"You told me you don't like getting told what to do…but isn't your father still controlling you? I don't know what happened, but before I think you would've given him another chance…now you're just going to let that anger you hold towards your father get in the way."

"Get out."

"Now, Kazuya—

"Get out, I said! I said it a while ago, but you were too dumb to understand."

"Fine, I'm leaving, then! You won't have to hear from me anytime soon if that's how you feel."

"That's exactly how I feel. You're a nuisance!"

Jun was running now as she felt her eyes burning. She didn't want him to see them, the hot tears that had sprung to her eyes instantly. She thought she might have been stronger than that, but in the face of Kazuya…her feelings always seemed to be at the mercy of his every whim.


	14. We're Enemies, Right

Chapter 14: We're Enemies, Right?

Jun didn't like what she was feeling. She wanted to feel happy again as she always did. The unhappiness that she felt was sickening, but she still tried her hardest to continue to smile if only to appease her parents and her friends at school. Even to appease Lee who she barely knew at all. She tried to be warm and welcoming as if everything was fine, but inside she was empty. It was just like before when Kazuya had disappeared without a trace. There was this cold feeling that would threaten to suffocate her and she would daily have to fight against it.

She wondered if anyone noticed anything beneath her façade. Would anyone be able to tell the difference? She sat in class now staring down at her worksheet holding her pencil motionlessly. No matter how hard she tried, she didn't feel like writing anything. This was a grade of course and she cared about her grades, but something was stopping her. She frowned at all the blank spaces beckoning for her to answer the questions.

"Is it really giving you so much trouble?" Lee asked.

"Oh," Jun said a little startled. She had forgotten that he had taken to sitting next to her in class. Previously, he had sat in the back, but now he opted to sit closer to the front with her. "It's fine. I was just daydreaming."

"Again?"

"What do you mean, again? I've been finishing everything so far."

"That wasn't what I was talking about."

Jun looked at him questioning, but he gave her a knowing look.

"Well, it's none of my business I suppose," Lee said when he saw that she wasn't about to explain herself.

Jun watched as he scribbled away on his paper in his too-neat handwriting, then she followed in suit. She hadn't known what was wrong with her then, but she didn't like it all. She had tried to visit Kazuya almost every day and each time she was denied by him or his door would be locked despite the doorman letting her in. Kazuya had sent her a clear message—he didn't want to see her again. Whenever her mind went back to him, her eyes would begin welling up when she realized that she'd never be able to see him.

She was glad every day to go home where she could cry in her room without people watching. She didn't want anyone to see it, but it was oddly comforting. And one day, someone came to visit her.

"Honey! Someone's at the door for you!" her mom called upstairs to Jun.

Crying had become a routine, but she quickly dried her tears and came downstairs. She was surprised to see that it was Lee. Though she would never say it to him, she was a little disappointed that it wasn't Kazuya…but Kazuya had never came and visited her before why should it be different now?

"I thought you had homework or something. Don't you want to stay ahead?"

"I'm plenty ahead. I just thought, well, it seemed like you needed company."

"Let's go outside…I don't want to be inside anymore."

"Alright," Lee said as he backed away from the door so that she could step out.

"So what's the occasion? Just bored or something?" Jun asked to Lee as they began walking.

They had headed off in the direction of the neighborhood playground without even mentioning what their plans were out loud.

"We're friends right?" Lee asked.

"Of course."

"So I guess it's my duty to ask: What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong."

"And you say it so quickly. I didn't think it was possible to have nothing going wrong at all. Take me for example. I hate how others talk about me behind my back. I hate how people can assume things about you without ever getting to know you. I don't like how Heihachi is hardly ever at home long enough to even mention my name. And I don't like it…when someone has to try so hard to hide their feelings. Your turn."

"What? My turn?"

"Surely there's something that bothers you, right?"

Jun didn't even want to begin. She didn't want to start crying…not in front of him, a person she barely knew, but he looked at her expectantly. She knew she had to say something. She'd have to avoid _his_ name at all cost. Maybe then she'd be able to make it through okay.

"Um…I hate how people can be so mean to animals. I don't like it when other people are sad. And…well, never mind."

"A rather short list."

"What are you trying to get at? You don't ever seem concerned about things so what's all this now?"

"Do I really seem that way? I just don't let things bother me, but that doesn't mean I don't care at all. I guess you don't know me very well and that's probably my fault, but I'm a really good listener and I never tell secrets."

Jun was quiet after he said this. He waited for her to speak, but she wouldn't say a word.

"You have an interest in animals?" Lee asked trying to make small talk.

"I saved a stray cat before. He was all beat up."

"Oh really? You still take care of him?"

"No."

Lee was a bit confused at this, but again Jun did not elaborate. "I take it…he's dead, then?"

"Can we talk about something else?"

"Alright. Like what?"

"Fine, since you're pulling my arm, I'll tell you what's wrong, okay and you said you don't tell secrets…_this_ is a secret."

They were currently standing on the sidewalk a few footsteps away from the playground, but Jun didn't want to be so close to so many kids. Jun went to a secluded area behind a large oak tree nearby before she said a word.

"It's Kazuya."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"I told you he's a nice person," Jun said defiantly, "But he…" She felt her eyes burning again so she turned from him. At least she could keep her voice steady, "He doesn't want to see me anymore."

"So?"

"So, _I _want to see him again, but I can't."

"Then stop wanting to see him."

"What? I…can't just do that."

"It's pretty simple. Why would you want to see someone who doesn't care about you?"

"It's…hard to explain."

"Are you really going to let Kazuya keep taking advantage of you like this? I know you think he's a nice person and all, but sometimes you have to face the facts. Some people were meant to be alone."

"Don't say that."

"I always wound up saying things I shouldn't. Why stop now? I only just met this guy and it seems to me that he has his own problems to take care of…things that no one but himself can do. You're a caring person…but you can't fix everything."

"Don't say that!" Jun shouted, but it was pretty clear to Lee that she was crying. He wondered if he should do something.

"I'm sorry if I've upset you. I'll take you home, if you want."

"What do you mea—

Jun suddenly felt herself being lifted up and she found herself in his arms.

"Oh, you don't have to…I'm too heavy…"

"I'm stronger than I look. Now just allow me to take you home. No argument."

"I don't feel like arguing."

"A gentle person like you…shouldn't have to."

Jun simply let herself be whisked away to her home again. She might have fallen asleep right there if they hadn't arrived so quickly.

"There," he said quietly in her ear, "Now we're here."

Lee set her back down again.

"Thank you. You really didn't have to do all that."

"Well, it wasn't much. It was the least I could do. I guess I forgot to tell you…one of my pet peeves is seeing a girl in tears. A girl should never have to cry."

"I'll try to smile next time."

"Next time, let it be a real one."

It was perhaps the sweetest thing a boy had ever done for her and her mood really had lightened. Lee was really nice…she only wished that she could be more confident when she kept telling herself that Kazuya was nice too. Speaking of Kazuya, she wondered what he could be doing right now. Nothing constructive she was certain. Little did she know that Kazuya was closer than she thought. He was at a place that she would never in her wildest dreams conjure up—on her doorstep. In fact, he had fully intended to knock on her door had he not spied Lee and Jun making their way down the sidewalk. He didn't quite believe his eyes for a passing minute and then a sudden flood of anger came over him—it was far too sudden to even be called natural. Involuntarily, he felt his hands clench up into fists and his eyebrows furrow.

"Kill him."

So startled was Kazuya at Devil's voice that he physically looked behind himself only to find nothing. Its voice hadn't been strong. It was more like a whisper in his ear.

"No…I need to hide…"

Kazuya quickly fled to one of the bushes beside her house and waited there quietly until Lee and Jun said their last words and parted. By then, even the air he breathed through his nose was hot and he was too frightened of himself to even move. No, this was not a good time to go visit anyone.

"Damn you, Lee," Kazuya said under his breath.

The mere sight of him ticked him off, but Kazuya knew that that wasn't really the issue. Lee was just annoying, but Lee holding Jun…was infuriating. He shouldn't be there, he kept telling himself. This was what was in store for him if he allowed even some small part himself to feel for another. He was only capable of dealing pain and betraying others. Like he had said to Benjamin one night, he had no business with friends in the first place.

Kazuya crept out of the bush after an hour only to be stopped by another.

"I thought I saw you at the corner of my eye."

It was Jun. How long had she been there? Embarrassment was written all over his face, but he did not turn to her just yet.

"I was…I was just…leaving."

"You came to see me, didn't you?

It took a moment before he trusted himself to turn to her. "I don't know what I'm doing here. I guess it was a mistake."

"But you came all the way over here. Maybe you really did want to see me. Maybe you missed me."

"I…no. I just…wanted to see if you were alright."

"I'm alright now."

"I see."

"Kazuya, you don't look so well. Maybe I should ask you: Are _you_ alright?"

He did look rather pale.

"I'm fine. Well, Grandfather found a tutor for me."

"Oh that's great. Is it working out for you?"

"My tutor…he's a little nosy, but it's nothing I can't handle."

"Want to sit down? You don't have anything to do, do you?"

With slight hesitation, he decided that he would. The fact that they now sat so close to each other didn't seem the least bit awkward.

"You know what I wish, Kazuya? I wish that we could all go to school together. You, me, and Lee. I think we make a pretty good team if only you guys could settle your differences."

"I don't know about Lee."

"He's really nice."

Kazuya sighed. "You think he's really nice?"

"Yeah, he is."

"And you guys go to school together. Wouldn't it be easier…if you just…hung out with him?"

"No, it'd be harder. I'd miss you."

"Jun…"

Jun finding their closeness comforting repositioned herself so that her head was lying on his lap and he made no protests.

"I forgive you," Jun said.

"For what?"

"Are you really that dense?" Jun said getting a little peeved.

"No…it's just, there are a lot of things I haven't done right and you've always been so…nice. I don't deserve that. I'm waiting for you to get fed up and move on to a better person…like Lee. Today I thought…"

"Wait, are we dating or something?"

"What do a couple of kids know about that stuff? I don't know what we are anymore."

"We're friends, right? Close friends."

"If that's what you call it."

"It really sucked not being able to see you. Don't do that again."

"That's why I came over; to tell you…" Kazuya found that his mouth had gone completely dry. "Jun, visit me as much as you like. I won't ever refuse you again."

/

When Lee came to class the following day, he did not expect Jun to be her regular chipper self, but she was. In fact, it was beginning to worry him more than anything else. She went off with her friends as she usually did at lunch and P.E. and in class she was just as concentrated as she usually was on her work. There was no more daydreaming or gloomy looks. Even her smile seemed genuine—he had to get to the bottom of it. As soon as school ended that day, Lee literally pulled her away from her usual friends just so he could finally talk to her.

"What is it, Lee? This better be important."

"Well, I don't get it. Yesterday you were a wreck and today…it's like nothing happened. Either you've become a better actor or…"

"Look, that was yesterday. I really appreciate you looking after me, but I'm fine now."

"So you're just 'fine now'? It doesn't work like that, you know."

"Lee," Jun said exasperatedly, "I guess you won't let this go until I tell you, huh. Kazuya and I; we're talking again and I'm glad."

"Oh, I get it. And you just let him off the hook that easily. How do you know that all this won't just happen again?"

"You don't get it. I know that he was just as miserable as I was and that's enough for me. And we made a promise, alright. Now we do have a bus to catch, you know."

Lee stared after her in utter disbelief. Was he missing something here? She hadn't been just sad yesterday or the weeks prior. He knew depression when he saw it and he never heard of a person recovering from that so quickly and for such a simple reason. This was just a quick fix. He didn't know what game Kazuya was playing, but he didn't like how it involved a girl's feelings who so obviously cared about him. Kazuya didn't seem to have any friends at all, but somehow he could find the time to toss people aside without much thought and then turn around and pretend as if nothing happened. The more he thought about it, the more upset he became and he was supposed to be the coolheaded one. He was supposed to be in complete control of his emotions, but when it came to Kazuya he found it harder and harder to accomplish.

After getting off the bus at Heihachi's place, he returned to the deserted mansion, took out a few textbooks and lugged them all the way to his favorite spot. While he was reading, he began to wonder what Kazuya used to do in this very area. Not just Kazuya, however, his dad also. They must have spent a lot of time together; father and son—something that he could only dream about. Kazuya didn't have to dream about that, though. There was his father, but he chose to hate him. He moved away from his father to his grandfather both of which had money. Kazuya was born into money, he was destined to have it—what exactly was there to be angry about all the time? Why had he seemed like he was in a bad mood that day? He was a spoiled brat plain and simple.

And Lee really couldn't concentrate on what he was he was reading. In fact, he could read the entire chapter and moments later not remember anything that had been in it. With an exasperated sigh, he slammed his book shut. There was no point in reading it if he wasn't going to get anything out of it.

"Damn that Kazuya," he said to himself.

Kazuya had barely said anything to him really. He wanted nothing to do with him. Yet here he was wasting brainpower over him. Lee might have continued to avoid him, but he knew that this would keep bothering him until he finally said something. He sat there idly for a little while longer before finally taking his leave. He knew where Kazuya lived even if he had never been told—it had to be the only other mansion on their street. He might have thrown a rock at the window had he known what room Kazuya stayed in.

Lee was met first by the doorman who seemed rather curious about who he was to Kazuya to want to meet him. Lee finally just lied and told him he was just a friend and the twenty questions ended. Kazuya was nearby this time having just finished with his tutor in a room down the hall. It didn't take long for Lee to be face to face with the person who could only be called his worst enemy—at least at the moment.

"What do you want?" Kazuya asked before Lee could say anything.

Lee didn't like how Kazuya stood there on the steps of the porch with crossed arms. Because of his position, Lee was not as tall as Kazuya since he only stood on the ground.

"Do you know what Jun was like after you decided to just ignore her?"

"Hmph, I don't need to hear this from you."

"Too bad. You are. She wasn't herself, she even cried over you and then she turns around and forgives you just like that. You _have_ to promise me this: that you'll never upset her like that again."

"I don't have to promise you anything, not to the likes of you."

"I thought you'd say that, but it doesn't matter. You better watch your back, Kazuya. The next time you do something stupid like that—

"You'll do what?" Kazuya said mockingly with a smirk, "I don't have time to deal with cockroaches. You think 'cus you're adopted you have any standing with me? You're nothing."

"You must enjoy this, don't you? You get a kick out of hurting others. But you see, I'm the wrong the person to do that to," Lee said with clenched fists.

"I wouldn't waste my energy trying to fight you. Why don't you go back to whatever hole you crawled out of—you don't belong. You're just Heihachi's little tool and a pitiful one at that. The fact that my father would go so far just to get on my nerves—

"The world doesn't revolve around you."

"There's no other reason other than for my sake that my father would bother taking some rat off the street. What? You thought it was out of kindness—Sorry to burst your bubble."

"That's not true! He was impressed by me…he wanted to adopt me 'cus I had proven myself. I had proven myself as a fighter."

"You've proven yourself a useful pawn. That is all. Go ask Heihachi if you don't believe me—it's not like he'll sugarcoat it."

"Tch, staying any longer here won't amount to much, will it?"

"You're finally catching on. Good."

For the moment, all Lee could do was glare at the other. Yes, he was certainly Heihachi's son. Why would any sane person think anyone born from that man could have any ounce of decency in his heart? More importantly, what sane girl would fall for that? It was too much to even consider.

"Well, are you just going to stand there all day?" Kazuya asked when Lee had no more to say to him.

"This was a waste of time."

Lee didn't like the grin that had settled on Kazuya's face. It wasn't just any run of the mill kind of grin—it was one full of confidence, even arrogance, marked with sadistic pleasure. It made him want to bash his face in even more, but he knew that breaking out into a fight would solve nothing. Kazuya wasn't even vaguely trying to bait him into that sort of thing. In fact, Kazuya was planning to leave him where he stood as he turned back to the entrance of the house.

"If there's nothing more you have to say…" Kazuya began with his back to him.

"Just one more thing: Your father favors me now so whatever beef you have with him, whatever you plan to do to him—I'll have to stop you."

"So be it. But I've already decided that anyone who stands in the way of my goal has made themselves my enemy."

It wasn't much of a stretch really. They didn't like each other initially; there was never any hope for their friendship no matter how much Jun wanted it to be different. In reality, Heihachi could have adopted anyone and Kazuya would not have liked that person. There were few people who Kazuya would ever learn to like in his lifetime—Chaolan Lee was not one of them.


	15. Kazuya's Trust

Chapter 15: Kazuya's Trust

Jun never saw Lee or Kazuya in the same vicinity ever again. In fact, the more that she tried to get them to hang out together, the more effort and excuses they put into not doing it. At some point, Jun finally got the message. It just wasn't going to happen.

Lee knew the consequences of his actions. Since he could not stand to be around Kazuya, he was inevitably forcing Jun to choose who she wanted to spend her time with. It was no surprise at all when he found that his social life was virtually nothing. He hadn't realized that he had depended on her so much until she was absent from his life. He could go through an entire school day and not have spoken a single word to anybody. Jun would be surrounded by her friends and Lee would be sitting somewhere in the back either observing the classroom or pretending to be occupied. His eyes would pass over everyone in the class and he could see plainly that he did not belong. Jun had been his link to all the other students and now that link was severed. It hadn't been intentional, he supposed, but the consequences remained. He would come home to an empty house and begin his studying never to be disturbed by another living soul. He _wanted_ to get interrupted. He _wanted_ a too-cheery girl to come and ask him to play. But she hardly ever came over anymore. It was all because of Kazuya.

Kazuya's relatively uneventful life as of late had soon become busy. Now that he had a tutor, he would have homework to attend to and he worked diligently. The tutor, Mr. Fushi, was very impressed with him. Because of the pace that Kazuya was willing to learn at and all the time that he seemed to have, Mr. Fushi often gave Kazuya challenging homework that required a considerable amount of time to accomplish. Kazuya could spend hours on it only to be distracted by Jun. Almost every day she would come and visit him and Kazuya would never turn her down no matter what. Despite the difficulty of his work, he always enjoyed her company and because of her, he'd be up all night trying to finish everything. But this wasn't where it ended.

After a month of tutoring, Jinpachi deemed Kazuya fit for training. That meant that along with education, Jun, and too-hard homework, he would also have to find time for Jinpachi's training. Kazuya could only ever find time to do serious training on the weekends—that was when Kazuya even told Jun that he wouldn't be available. He would always plan to train the entire day until he dropped from exhaustion, but at night time Jun would be there and suddenly he'd tap into an energy store he didn't know he had and still want her company. Training had been the only thing Kazuya thought was worth his time and attention, but now it seemed that Jun shared the same position.

At first, Kazuya had been frightened of this fact not because he was against liking someone too much, but of what Devil might do about this. Devil wanted him to train without holding back—it would have a fit if it found that Kazuya's mind was elsewhere besides. What was scarier than what Kazuya thought Devil's reaction would be was that Devil had done nothing since the affair began. Devil was…nonexistent. While he was glad to wake up every day without sensing Devil's uncomfortable presence, it was nerve-wracking to continually be in the dark about its plans. Devil had made it clear to him on the day he first spoke to it consciously, that there was indeed a well thought out plan that he was not entirely privy to. Kazuya desperately wanted to know what would happen next. Before, he had not been quite so concerned, but there was Jun. If there was ever anyone who he wanted to protect, Jun would have been the most likely candidate.

Jun had managed to infiltrate even Kazuya's wall of solitude. No other child besides her would have the audacity (or courage) to do such a thing. Jun had had the benefit of meeting him when his true personality was more apparent. Jun knew despite his tendency to seem aloof and unreachable, he didn't really want to be alone. She knew that he wanted to interact with other people, but for some reason he staunchly would choose to do otherwise. She knew that he was prone to boredom and inactivity if he wasn't training or doing homework. All these things gave her the courage needed to overlook the not-so-friendly parts of him.

And Kazuya did not mind this at all. He never tried all that hard to dissuade her. In fact, he would make accommodations for her. It came to a point that Jun was hardly ever seen without Kazuya. Whether they were dating or not was hard to discern. Jun spent her time exclusively with Kazuya, but she would not say that they were together if asked and Lee had done so at some point only to receive an inconclusive answer. Kazuya only knew that on the days which Jun could not come, it would feel as if the entire day was a waste. Sometimes, though he would never admit it, she was the sole reason he would want to get out of bed and put any effort into living. His drive for training was still there just less intense. Some part of him wanted to destroy Heihachi, but another part of him had already grown bored with the idea of it. Jinpachi's upbringing was already beginning to take effect.

Jinpachi was probably around less than his father had been, but Kazuya had never experienced an adult who actually _wanted_ to spend time with him. They'd have to plan whenever something like that could happen, but the fact that he was willing to put forth so much effort for such a small thing as spending time resonated with Kazuya. Kazuya, though he respected adults especially those that were far stronger than him, had been far too mentally exhausted to want to relearn the benefits of trusting another person. In truth, he didn't even trust Jun—he only enjoyed her presence. Despite this and despite the fact that Jinpachi knew that he had a long road ahead of him if he wanted to gain Kazuya's trust if only a little, Jinpachi tried anyway. At first, Kazuya had been completely oblivious to anything Jinpachi was trying to convey, but dinner was a meal that came every day. Even someone as disregarding as Kazuya couldn't completely ignore his grandfather's efforts. Kazuya hadn't considered this fact, being so young and not old enough to think along those lines consciously, but the truth was the person who he had trusted without question had betrayed him in the worst way possible and now it seemed too tiring and risky to want to do that all over again. In Kazuya's mind, whether he knew it or not, not trusting anyone would remove him from having to worry about betrayal.

Yet Kazuya found himself doing the very thing that by all accounts he should be incapable of doing.

"So, Kazuya, how was your day?" Jinpachi asked Kazuya at dinner one day.

It was a question that Jinpachi would never fail to ask. While in the past, Kazuya might have given him a thoughtless response, things were different now.

"It's not as if it was different from yesterday. The same old, same old. Homework, training, Jun."

"Ah, I see. Well, is it too boring for you? Maybe you could change things up a little."

"No…I like it the way it is."

Jinpachi suspected that Kazuya didn't mind monotony. In fact, it was something that he needed. It required less thinking and less risk. Monotony was synonymous with structure as far as Kazuya was concerned. There were already too many things that he was uncertain about and questions that had no answers to want anything besides structure. It might have been boring if the activities that he had dedicated himself to weren't absolutely necessary.

"If that's how you want it, then I'll try my best to make it so it can stay like that for as long as I can. Well, I assume your training is going well then?"

"Why don't you fight me some time and find out?" Kazuya said with a brief grin before he returned to his plate with a fork and knife.

"I guess I haven't done that in a while. I hope that Jun isn't too much of a distraction."

"Like I said, it's fine the way it is."

Jinpachi allowed Kazuya far more leeway than he did anyone else. Kazuya could be quite rude even if he wasn't trying, but Jinpachi pretended not to hear it. The last thing Jinpachi ever wanted to do to Kazuya was needlessly remind him about manners—at least for the time being while he was still trying to gain Kazuya's acceptance. Jinpachi was acutely aware that Kazuya tended to hate someone instead of giving a person the benefit of the doubt. It was as if Kazuya would try to pinpoint some flaw in a person and use it as an excuse to dislike that person. Jinpachi could sense Kazuya trying to find that flaw now, but Jinpachi would never give Kazuya any real reason to disregard him. Jinpachi was certain that once he could prove that there was no reason to dislike him that Kazuya could finally move to that next step of trusting him—it was a long shot.

"I think I'll be free this weekend. You say you've improved so much—I'll just have to see."

"Don't worry, you won't be disappointed."

"Kazuya, I think it's impossible for you to disappoint me."

"Tch, you always say things like that."

"Like what?" Jinpachi asked casually.

"Never mind," Kazuya said with a frown.

Yes, it was a long shot, but it was doable.

/

Jinpachi was there at the gym bright and early, but Kazuya had been there sooner already beating the tar out of an unfortunate punching bag. Kazuya had been so intent at this that Jinpachi had a bit of trouble drawing his attention. It was strange to see such an intense look on someone so young. He knew that Kazuya was quite serious about training. To think that initially Jinpachi had thought it possible to pull Kazuya away from training because of the memories it must have conjured with his father; it seemed ridiculous now. Training and Kazuya went hand in hand.

"You're late," Kazuya said when he first noticed Jinpachi's presence.

Jinpachi suspected that the other must have gotten pleasure from saying such a thing, but he didn't mind.

"I didn't realize you were such a stickler for punctuality. In any case, I'd say I've made good time. You have all day to convince me that you've improved. Don't worry you can take your time if you're not ready at this point."

"There's no need to wait," Kazuya said simply.

It was always like this. Whenever Jinpachi dropped by, Kazuya would want to fight him immediately. Jinpachi had never watched the other train before, but he could only imagine the intenseness of it.

There was a large empty space in the middle of the gym and that was where they would face off against each other. Kazuya stepped into this area at this very point and Jinpachi did the same. The only thing Jinpachi would be looking for was if Kazuya's skill had improved—his technique was already there. The best way to improve skill really was to gain experience. What they were doing now was extremely vital to Kazuya's training.

And so the spar began. It began with Jinpachi blocking all of Kazuya's advances at him and then Jinpachi began to evade as he caught on to Kazuya's apparent rhythm. This wasn't so different from what had occurred previously. Kazuya had never once gotten a good hit at Jinpachi. However, that wasn't the point at the moment. Yet Kazuya was consciously trying to break the other's guard. Jinpachi could practically sense the frustration reverberating from him as the spar continued. His attacks became far more fervent even desperate, but then midway into the spar Jinpachi was introduced to something that he wasn't used to seeing in Kazuya—a barrage of combinations that continued on for almost a minute. His attacks were constant and instantaneous to the point that Jinpachi had to rely more on blocking than evasion and even blocking was becoming more and more impossible. Jinpachi could sense the other's excitement growing as if he could tell that somehow he was drawing closer and closer to that point of breaking the other's guard.

Then it happened. Jinpachi was pushed back a few inches, but it was enough for Kazuya. You give an inch and he'll take a mile. Kazuya saw an opening and took it. Jinpachi knew he was in trouble once his guard was infiltrated. He remembered that punching bag that Kazuya had been trashing that morning—he was that punching bag now. There was that continuous string of attacks once again and Jinpachi found it impossible to bring his guard back up again. While Jinpachi had told himself that he would abstain from actually attacking Kazuya because he felt that it might be too much for Kazuya to handle, it was the only option left. Kazuya was not letting up at all. Kazuya's attacks weren't so strong as to render the other incapable of counterattacking which Jinpachi did at that moment. He compromised Kazuya's footing by utilizing a slide kick on the floor and then punching him square in the stomach. This one maneuver sent Kazuya flying further than Jinpachi had anticipated. He was only stopped by the wall itself as his entire backside collided with it. Jinpachi was already rushing over in amazement—it really had been a long time since he formerly fought someone and he certainly had no experience with fighting with small boys; not since Heihachi decades ago.

"Kazuya! I'm sorry, are you alright?"

But Kazuya was already climbing back to his feet. In fact, there was a bit of a smile on his face as he used the side of his hand to wipe away the blood from his mouth.

"That was perfect. You had no choice, didn't you? That's all I wanted from you today. It means that I'm that much closer to fighting on equal terms with you. To receive even a measly punch from you…is an honor."

"You really have improved, baiting me like you did. I'm sorry, this time I put a little too much force behind that attack—a person your size would probably not bounce back so quickly from that. Since you really want me to fight back, I won't be so rough next time. How does that sound?"

"No. I don't want you to hold back. I need to see where I stand. And so…"

"And so?" Jinpachi asked since the other had awkwardly paused on an unfinished thought.

"And so—well, now I'm dizzy…"

Jinpachi was caught off guard when Kazuya crumbled to the ground in a sudden bout of unconsciousness. When he saw no further movement from Kazuya, Jinpachi lifted him up into his arms.

"I'll have to hold back—at least for now. I know that you must be used to pain, but children aren't meant to go through that."

Jinpachi was in the process of carrying Kazuya back to his room when he was stopped by a small voice. Jun had let herself in at that moment—it was about the time she normally interrupted Kazuya's training. This time, however, was a different story. Jinpachi turned to her.

"Ah, Jun, did you come to see Kazuya? You should come back tomorrow."

Jun only saw a motionless Kazuya in his arms and that was all she was concentrated on, "What happened?" Jun asked frantically, "Is he okay?"

"No, no he's fine—

"Can I come with you? I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I stayed."

"I'm sure he wouldn't," Jinpachi said thinking better of dismissing Jun altogether, "Come with me."

And so Jun followed Jinpachi up multiple sets of stairs to Kazuya's room. After Jinpachi placed the child into the bed, he soon took his exit. With Jun there to watch him, Jinpachi didn't actually need to be there. He told Jun that if his condition changed, that he'd be in the living room waiting for him. He was more than certain that Kazuya would snap out of it eventually.

Jun waited for what felt like hours before Kazuya so much as moved and she had almost fallen asleep along with him. By that time, she had already bitten off all of her fingernails as she had grown more and more anxious.

"Kazuya!" Jun cried out excitedly much to Kazuya's utter surprise.

"Jun? You're here? What happened? Where's Grandfather?"

He had already sat up in his bed and now he was looking towards the source of Jun's voice.

"Oh, sorry. I guess you're a little confused. I don't know what happened, but you were sparring with Jinpachi I think and he brought you here and I kept a look out. He said he'd be in the living room."

"Alright," Kazuya said promptly climbing off the rather large bed.

"Hey, you're not gonna' go now, are you? You just recovered. Shouldn't you wait?"

"Jun, it's not everyday Grandfather comes to train me personally—I don't plan on wasting a minute of it."

"Well, I'll come with you."

"If you insist. But it's not like you'll be able to do anything—it'll be boring. Maybe you should just—"

"No," Jun said defiantly.

"Fine. Suit yourself."

"Kazuya…" Jun began when he reached the entrance to the room, "Why do you have to do this?"

"What are you going on about now?" Kazuya asked almost exasperatedly. His back was still turned to her.

"Do you have to train so much?"

"I thought I went over this with you. I _have_ to do this no matter what."

"But why?"

"You know why."

"But it doesn't make sense. Heihachi isn't going to hurt you anymore. Isn't it enough? How it is now?"

"Of course you don't understand," Kazuya said finally just as he marched off down the hall.

Jun ran after him. "Well I would if you would actually explain yourself. I mean, what did he do so bad that you have to get payback? Can't you just forgive him? I know it's hard, but—

"No. That's not going to happen. Let's just drop it already."

"Fine," Jun said with a sigh. She didn't want to risk Kazuya receding back into his protective shell once again. She'd just have to make do.

The two of them walked side by side down the hall and a number of steps before they made it to the living room where Jinpachi sat watching television. When he sensed the two children coming in, he switched it off.

"That was quite a quick recovery," Jinpachi commented upon seeing him.

"You said you wanted to hold back next time. I don't want you to do that."

"Do you have a death wish, kid? You saw what happened this time and I was trying to ease the force of impact."

"You're saying…you weren't at full strength?"

Jinpachi could clearly see the shock on his face. "No, I wasn't. There was something I wanted to tell you, Kazuya. You have improved volumes as a fighter and so has your strength. I can tell you work very hard at this. I talked to your tutor and he tells me that every day you come in; he knows that you put in genuine effort. Teaching someone who _wants_ to learn has been far more rewarding to Mr. Fushi than anything else. And, Kazuya, I'm glad that you've managed to make a friend. I'm not sure if anyone has ever told you this before, but you are someone to be proud of." Then he placed a large hand on the crown of his head, "And I am very proud of you."

Kazuya didn't know what to think as he looked up at the other. What was he supposed to say? What was he supposed to do? He had never seen such a look in Jinpachi's eyes—in fact, he had never seen such a look in any adult's eyes before. Before he knew what was happening, Kazuya found himself blushing and looked towards the floor.

"Um…I don't…know what to say…"

"Thanks would suffice."

"…Thanks," Kazuya said in a quieter voice than usual. He found that his ears were burning completely red.

There was something that Kazuya had wanted to ask Jinpachi, but it had completely slipped his mind. In fact, now he was at a total loss of words.

"Let's celebrate," Jinpachi said, "I know of a restaurant that I always wanted to take you to. And Jun," he said looking towards her, "You can come too if it's alright with your parents."

"I'm sure my mom'll let me," Jun said with a smile.

"Kazuya? What do you say?"

"Okay," he responded at a near whisper.

Jun couldn't believe it; she had never seen Kazuya in such a state. Blushing just wasn't one of his pastimes, neither was shyness. His eyes seemed trained on the floor. It was as if the more, they congratulated him, the more reserved he became. By the time they actually made it to the before mentioned restaurant, Kazuya was quite demure. They had all changed into more casual clothes before they set out. It was the first time Jun had seen Kazuya in anything besides his usual training outfits. Now he wore jeans and a striped purple collared shirt.

"So, Kazuya, what would you like to order?" Jinpachi asked.

Kazuya had been staring at the menu for the longest time flipping through everything at least twice. "I can get anything?" Kazuya asked quietly.

"Anything you want. You are the entire reason we came here in the first place," Jinpachi reminded him with a smile.

"Okay…well, I want…"

Kazuya wounded up ordering something quite inexpensive. It was only when both Jun and Jinpachi prodded him that he also ordered something far more expensive. Kazuya was not afraid to eat, however. He had a pretty healthy appetite perhaps even as robust as Jinpachi's, but not quite.

"Wow, this food is great!" Jun said cheerfully, "I don't think I'd ever come to this place otherwise."

"I come here often with my coworkers," Jinpachi replied, "I knew that at some point I had to take Kazuya. It's a pleasure to have you here as well."

"Um, sorry, but I have to use the bathroom."

Kazuya quickly got up from the table and nearly ran for the restrooms. Jinpachi and Jun were left looking at each other with raised eyebrow.

"Gee, I would hate to celebrate his birthday if it's gonna' be like this," Jun said shaking her head.

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that. Maybe by then, he'll be used to this sort of thing."

"It's sad really…" Jun began as she cut another piece of her pork chop, "It was like…no one had ever done that before to him."

"Well, there's a first time for everything. But it's just as I suspected. Jun, the one thing I plan to do even if it'll take a long time is gain his trust."

"Good luck with that. I can't ever tell what he's thinking—I wouldn't know where to start."

"I don't either, but I'm willing to try."

"Mr. Mishima…I'm really glad, you're his guardian."

"I'm glad as well. My only regret is not doing something sooner after his mother died."

/

AN: I know you guys are used to faster updates, but that won't be happening as often. Especially since my Fall classes has started up. Hope to see you soon. Oh, yeah, reviews. Thanks wind scarlett for your constructive reviews, Natsu & Alexetjun for your enthusiasm, CCM, AniDenDav, & KazuyaLoverProduction for finding my ideas interesting/cute, Sara Jones and many others for reminding me to put some more Jun/Kazuya in the story. All of you motivate me to keep writing.


	16. Lethargic

Chapter 16: Lethargic

Kazuya was tired out of his mind. It had been another long weekend of training. This time Jun had not come so he had no excuse to slack off and he didn't. After so much work, trudging all the way up multiple flights of stairs just to get to his bedroom didn't seem at all appealing. On days like this instead of doing the usual, he would make use of the pool that Jinpachi had mentioned at dinner one night. Jinpachi never had any time for such recreational activities so Kazuya had the pool all to himself. Swimming came natural to him much to Kazuya's convenience. He had only used the pool once, but had always wanted to go back to it again. Now was a good excuse for it.

The pool was adjacent to the gym so he didn't have very far to travel before he got there. There must have been some one assigned with the task of maintaining the pool as it seemed quite pristine in the outside lights. Even when no one was watching, Kazuya was not willing to strip completely naked. He took off his sticky t-shirt and pants and slipped into the cool water with just his boxers. Lazily, he glided across the surface and completely submerged himself a few times. It was a nice change of pace from his rough, grueling training. In fact, it was rather refreshing. Kazuya submerged himself one last time before noticing that there was someone else standing on the edge of the pool near him. The water's surface broke as Kazuya came back up again. He pushed his hair back with his hands to get a better look at the intruder.

"You," Kazuya said darkly, "How long have you been standing there?"

To his surprise, it was Lee who stood there with his arms crossed. His expression was unreadable, but Kazuya was unconcerned about this.

"Not long."

"What do you want?"

"Well, aren't you a strange one. I'd think someone in your position would be a bit more surprised seeing as I had to break in to the backyard."

"I don't care. But now that you mention it, I'd like to know how you knew I would be here."

"Jun told me more or less. You're routine is far too predictable as far as I'm concerned. The way Jun is such an open person, anybody with half a brain could have figured it out. I heard some noise in the pool and went there instead of the gym. I hadn't counted on her not being around, but that can't be helped."

"Pretty resourceful. You must have something important to say."

"Nothing really. Like I said, I thought Jun would be here."

"Then you can just leave now."

"But, I don't want this entire trip to be for nothing. I came here to see if we can't be friends. We started off on the wrong foot. I didn't want to understand your point of view and you…probably don't like the fact that I'm just adopted."

"Aren't we enemies?"

"We don't have to be, you know. Whatever it is you have to do, I won't stand in your way. Last time…I was too emotional."

Kazuya looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "What…brought all this on?"

"Does it really matter?" Lee said with a sigh, "I don't know about you, but I hate being alone. I thought that maybe I'd get used to it, but no, it sucks. Haven't you noticed that Jun spends all her time with you? I never see her anymore and she was basically the only one who would talk to me."

"Oh, I get it now," Kazuya said with a rather smug look on her face, "You didn't come here because you wanted to, but because you had no other choice. Pitiful."

"Sure, yes, make fun of my situation. That's all you're good for anyways. But I don't care anymore what you think of me. Just…let's pretend that we're friends, alright?"

"I'm no good at pretending and why would I suddenly want to help you of all people?"

"Well, wouldn't Jun like it if we made some type of effort in that department? I'm sure even you wouldn't be against making her happy."

"What are you trying to say?—that I actually care how she feels?"

Lee grimaced at the other as if the smell of rotten eggs had just wafted by. He hadn't counted on Kazuya actually admitting to such a thing—it certainly put a large gap in the logic he was going to use to convince Kazuya to at least tolerate him. Could someone be that cold? Could Jun be so wrong about him? Or maybe…

"Yes, I am," Lee said confidently. It was a complete and utter bluff, but Lee was running out of options.

To his surprise, Kazuya didn't answer back curtly. For a moment there, he was clearly lost in his own thoughts.

"Did you hear me?" Lee said trying to get the other's attention once again.

"No…that can't be true. I don't care about her at all."

Even Lee could hear the hesitation in his voice. It was then that Lee began to second guess all that he had believed Kazuya to be. Perhaps Jun knew more about the world than he did.

"Kazuya, now is your chance to do something right for a change. We could just _pretend_ to be friends…not actual ones. It'll be easy."

"Tch, I can't. It's just not going to happen."

Lee blinked back twice when he said this. Did he care or did he not care? At that moment, it was no longer clear to him. "Why do you have to be so damn stubborn? I guess this trip really was a waste."

"I guess so," Kazuya retorted.

"I don't know what your problem is—but I'm already getting tired of it. You just _have_ to be so unreasonable. Jun tells me you're a good person, but I don't see it at all."

"Jun needs to learn to shut her mouth about other people. She did this all on purpose," Kazuya said as he swam to the edge of the pool a few inches from Lee and climbed out. Now he stood in front of Lee dripping with water, "Listen, let me just clear this up. I don't want any _friends_. You can beg or try to reason with me all you like, but that will never change. I suggest that you drop this entire subject and, unless you have something else to talk about, leave."

"What is Jun to you anyway?" Lee asked.

"I don't know anymore and I'm tired of thinking about it. Seriously, you—

"Yes, I know. I should leave. You should get back to whatever it is you do at night. We should just forget about this entire conversation. Is that really how you plan on solving all problems in your life?" Lee said turning to leave, "Putting things on the backburner will only end up making you even more confused and frustrated."

Kazuya could only frown at the other as Lee made his way out of the backyard. Thinking about such complicated things like Jun and why she is the way she is or why he could never muster up the nerve to say that he did not want to see her anymore or what her true intentions are was exhausting and fruitless. He found himself yawning as he made his way in the mansion and to the nearest bathroom. He dried himself off and quickly slipped into his nightclothes upstairs. As soon as he leaped onto his bed, he was fast asleep.

/

"Oh, sleepyhead, time to wake up," came a calling voice from the housemaid that was fairly familiar with Kazuya's habits. This wasn't the first time that he had overslept.

"Leave me alone," he growled as he turned his head away from the bright, cheery voice of the maid.

He always seemed so peaceful when he was asleep—the maid was always hard-pressed to interrupt it, especially when she learned of how grouchy he could get. Then she realized that he was always grouchy…For that one moment of time, the maid could imagine that he was a perfect little angel worthy of her motherly affection. But only for that one small window of time. Other than that, she hated to even be around him.

"You've slept long enough, breakfast is already here and getting cold."

"What?"

The word 'breakfast' was the best way to get his attention. It was the maid's top secret weapon against him.

"The breakfast is here," the maid repeated.

She took off the top to the silver plate and revealed hot eggs, ham, bacon, grits, toast, and fruit. There was also a glass of cranberry juice. That was all the motivation he needed as the savory smell passed under his nose.

"By the way, Mr. Fushi will be here in about thirty minutes so you don't have very long to get ready."

The maid took her exit after saying all that was required of her. Kazuya practically inhaled all the food and then took a quick ten minute wash in the bathroom before making his way downstairs to meet up with his tutor with homework in hand. Mr. Fushi was already waiting in the usual room by the time Kazuya got there.

"Ah, Kazuya, you've come," Mr. Fushi said upon seeing him, "and not a moment too late. How has your morning been so far?"

Kazuya sat down at the table opposite of Mr. Fushi. "Fine," he said simply.

He brought his homework folder and classwork folder. Now, without Mr. Fushi having to request it, he took out the homework from last time and set it in front of the other.

"Well, I do hope you have a good rest of the day. I assume yesterday you were training in the gym all day."

Kazuya only looked at the other steadily.

"I can tell. You seem rather tired. Mondays have never been anyone's strong point I suppose and yours is no different. You did manage to do all the homework, but it's not a good idea to continue in this way. Part of growing stronger mentally and physically is making sure you get enough rest. Running on E all the time will only hinder you in the end."

"Didn't we come here to talk about multiplication and parts of a sentence?" Kazuya asked growing weary of Mr. Fushi's speeches.

"That is only part of the equation," Mr. Fushi said with a smile, "I'm here to make sure you do well in all parts of your life."

"Right, let's just get this over with," Kazuya said with no pretenses.

"As you wish. For today, however, I won't give you homework, but you must promise me that you will give yourself time to actually rest. I realize that I do give you a lot to do in a short amount of time. That coupled with your training must make things difficult. In the future, I will give you less homework."

"Fine."

"Do you promise me?"

"Yes."

"Let me hear the words."

Kazuya frowned at the other, "I promise."

"That's good. Now let us begin."

Mr. Fushi went on and on about multiplication and the order of operations. They didn't even get to English. Kazuya only half listened to Mr. Fushi. His voice eventually became terribly drab and boring. The struggle of keeping his eyes open seemed almost insurmountable today. Mondays were always like this—foggy and mostly forgettable. Doing homework from that day would always be a pain. Kazuya was glad when Mr. Fushi finally got to the part where he assigned homework and went on his way—this time there was no homework though.

"Now remember, Kazuya. You must get some rest. Do you have anything planned after this?"

"No, not really."

"Good. And we may have to review this tomorrow when you're actually listening. You're dismissed."

Kazuya gathered his two folders and left soundlessly. Usually, he would do his homework immediately and then head off to the gym. Despite actually feeling tired while in the presence of Mr. Fushi—he was wide awake at the mention of getting a chance to train. Kazuya looked back at the closed door to the room where Mr. Fushi was probably still gathering his things and sighed. Maybe he would follow his advice. It would be nice to have more energy to work with—he'd be able to get things done with less effort.

There was never anyone in the living room so he took the large couch that sat in front of the big flat screen TV. It took no time at all to drop off. He wondered, while he was still conscious enough to do so, how he could ever muster up enough strength to do an entire training session every day without falling apart from exhaustion.

/

He wasn't sure when he began hearing Jun's voice. It was little more than static in the background at first but soon he began to pay closer attention to it. Still it was far away and it could have been a dream, but he continued to hear it. He tried turning away from all the racket, but it did little to rectify the situation. There was no pillow to hide under so he found that he was out of options.

"Hey! I know you can hear me, mister!" Jun's voice said in her rare shrilly tone.

She had been trying to get him up for the past five minutes and he seemed especially stubborn today. Usually, he would have said something snarky, try to ignore her, and growing tired of the game would have simply gotten up. They hadn't even gotten past the first stage yet. The most she got out of him was an exasperated groan and a yawn. He actually just fell back to sleep again much to her dismay.

"I didn't realize you were _this_ lazy! Don't you want to do _anything_ today? I came home from school totally pumped to come hang out with you and this is what I get."

"Could you just go away?" Kazuya said finally while still turned from her on the couch, "Don't you have other friends?"

"Sure I do but—hey, you know I always hang out with you. This isn't anything new. Besides, without me where would you be?"

"Completely content."

"Right. You always say things like that. Are we gonna play or what?"

"I'm too tired for all that. It's like you run on an Energizer battery."

"You train everyday—you'd think you'd have more energy," Jun said in a pouty voice.

"Yeah, whatever," Kazuya said with a yawn.

"Hey, you're not going to sleep anymore. We have to do something—at least one thing today. Do that and I'll leave you alone."

Jun waited for him to respond, but he already sounded like he was asleep again.

"Are you even listening? Urg, fine. Guess I'll have to come back later."

Jun sat down in front of the couch with a sigh. Maybe it was for the best. She would often stay late at the mansion and keep him up all night. What exactly would he be doing before she came? There was the tutor and homework and that training he was always so insistent on doing. Jun listened, with a smile, to his soft snores. She thought of her parents. It sounded similar to this whenever she would sneak into their room and snuggle up between them. Then she found herself blushing when she thought of her first night with Kazuya after not seeing him for about a year. She wondered what had possessed her to do such a thing. Despite that, it was a pleasant experience and oddly comforting even with the lack of a pillow. Too bad he was hogging the couch all to himself.

She stood up after a few more minutes of idleness. There was always Lee, of course. When was the last time she had even so much as spoken to him?

"Oh gosh," Jun said to herself in realization.

Had she really just forgotten about him like that? He had told her that he didn't mind her visiting at all and she hadn't even done that in a long while. Now was a good chance. With no Kazuya to fool around with, he was a secondary option. She left Kazuya to his much needed rest and went in search of Lee. He wasn't too hard to find. He was in the same spot as usual after he came home from school.

There he was reading his textbook as if it was entertaining. He looked up towards her as soon as he felt her presence.

"Surprise, surprise," Lee said upon seeing her, "I was just about to go in," he continued with a yawn.

Jun watched as he slapped the book shut. "Not you too!" Jun said with frustration.

Lee looked at her with a confused expression, "Did I miss something?"

"You planning on sleeping the whole day away? That's boring."

"Of course not. Especially since you've decided to grace me with your presence. I would hate to leave you hanging."

"Oh," Jun said simply, "Good."

"What brings you here? I thought you'd forgotten about me."

"Um…no, I've just been busy," Jun said with a twinge of guilt.

"It's alright. Sometimes, things just happen. I'm surprised Kazuya isn't with you."

"Oh, well, he's a little busy too."

Lee laughed when she said this. "Busy, you say? Right. What does he do besides training?"

"Lots of stuff. But….I can't think of anything right now."

"Uh-huh," Lee said in an unbelieving voice, "Well, come with me, I have to put my book up."

Jun was given a tour of the massive property. The whole time she had visited Kazuya here, he hadn't done as much. It was an adventure. There was more than one gym much to Jun's surprise. There were recreational buildings where one could watch movies on a projector as if one was in the theater, videogame rooms that seemed wholly untouched, and board game rooms that were loaded with almost all the board games one could think of. The one place that Jun was really excited about was the inside pool. Upon asking Lee if he had ever used it, Lee answered that he didn't see the point of it if there was no one else to swim with. It certainly gave Jun more reason to visit.

"This place is amazing," Jun said when they were outside again in the main field.

"I guess it can be, but I find myself bored over half the time. I'm not really in to videogames and most board games require at least two people to play. Movies, well, I think I'm pretty much out of touch with entertainment."

"Well, maybe I can help you change that. I know what I'll do, I'll introduce you to my friends and maybe you could have a lot of people come over and play with you. How does that sound?"

"You would do that? Wouldn't that be a bit…intruding?"

"It's no problem. What are friends for?"

"It would be nice to have company every once in a while."

"Sure would. I can't wait for tomorrow. I'm sure my friends would be really excited about being able to visit a mansion like this.

And Lee was stoked as well. With Jun's assistance, Lee had finally made his first step towards becoming accepted by his peers. It would have a lasting effect.

/

Kazuya was wide awake in the late evening. He regretted not being able to entertain Jun, but he really hadn't felt like being interrupted at a time like that. As he stretched out and yawned, he realized that this was what he needed. All the energy that he thought he didn't have any more was back. It was too bad that Jun wasn't around to use his newfound burst of energy. He'd have to think of something to do on his own.

The television was quite inactive at the moment and Kazuya had no intentions of changing this fact. An idea came to his mind and he rushed up the three flights of stairs to his rooms. For once, Kazuya would use the stereo system that had been given to him. There was still the stack of CD's that Takahashi had picked out for him. He picked up the first one. On the cover was a picture of an elaborate jade brooch and a plain black background. The CD was called _Jaguar Hard Pain_ and the name The Yellow Monkey was written across the top and bottom of the cover. Takahashi had taught Kazuya how to use the stereo system, so after ripping off the plastic from the case, he slipped in the CD and pressed play.

Kazuya found a comfortable position on his bed and let the music wash over him.

/

AN: You know, I'm glad I still have those who are following this story. It is because of this that I try my hardest to come out with another chapter as soon as I can. I have a general direction of where I would like this story to go, but I would really like your input. Maybe there's a Tekken character you would like to be incorporated into the plot somehow. Since this is supposed to be full of twists, anything goes—so long as it's a little plausible.


	17. Halloween Chapter

Chapter 17: Halloween Chapter

Jun seemed to have even more energy this day as she jumped out of bed and quickly flashed through her morning routine.

"Good morning, Mom!" Jun called out cheerfully when she saw her in the kitchen.

"In a rush for something? This is the earliest I've seen you come down."

"Nope, I'm just really excited."

"Oh, I get it," Jun's mother said with a smile, "It's getting close to that time of year again."

"You remembered!" Jun shouted joyously.

For as long as Jun's mother could remember, her daughter had always had an almost unnatural excitement about Halloween. She had learned last year that it wasn't the passing of candy that she enjoyed, but it was the dressing up. Ironic since Jun had never shown any interest in playing dress up featuring her mom's clothes.

"I know; how about we go out to the Costume shop after school today and buy you a brand new outfit this year."

"Really? That would be great."

"Let's try to find something other than a witch, okay?"

"Yeah, I was getting tired of that one anyway."

Jun seemed to always find herself dressing as a witch on Halloween mainly because it was the only costume that they had ever gotten their hands on and Jun wasn't picky enough to complain about it.

"See ya, Mom—gotta' catch the bus," Jun said waving to her mom as she zipped out the door.

Everyone got a full dose of Jun's state of hyper-excitement almost to the point that it was annoying. Kids knew what to expect however. This wasn't the first Halloween that they had been forced to live through. Her good mood would permeate throughout the entire school and for the most part everyone else would be in a good mood. Around Halloween school became a far less tedious routine. Students were busy organizing parties and planning programs at the school that were Halloween themed. Of course, Jun would be part of all of these things.

It wasn't until the end of the day after she transitioned from her supremely good mood that she began to think of one certain person—someone who had yet to be privy to her enthusiasm. That was going to change, of course, but before she went out with her mom to the costume shop. That would take at least two hours to do.

After getting off the bus, she would have taken off immediately had Lee not stopped her.

"You seem pretty excited today," Lee said when he caught up to her.

"Of course I am—it's almost Halloween."

"So that's what it is. I'm guessing you're going to that Halloween party then."

"Yep, but I haven't picked out what I'm going to wear."

"Something tells me that whatever it is, it'll be something elaborate."

Jun smiled at him, "You read my mind. I'm going out to today with my mom to pick out something."

"Well, let me know what it is you'll be wearing. Maybe we could be themed."

Jun paused before she answered him. Speaking of being able to read someone's mind, she had wanted to ask the same thing of Kazuya, but she had not factored Lee into the equation at all. What was she going to say? No, find your own costume? Buzz off, I was planning on making this Halloween extra special?

"Um…Well, you see…"

"Oh—I'm sorry—

"Sorry for what?" Jun asked quickly.

"It's just, never mind. I wanted to know what you were going to wear so that…we wouldn't wound up wearing the same thing. That's all really. But if you did want to be themed…"

"No, not really." _How to make this seem less awkward… _ Jun thought silently to herself. "Um, but I appreciate the thought."

"Alright," Lee said with a brief smile, "Guess I'll see you soon."

"Tomorrow for sure," Jun said with only a touch of excitement so as not to overdo it.

Lee and Jun went their separate way soon after and when Lee was out of sight, she took a turn towards Kazuya's house. She had no idea why she wanted to make sure that Lee hadn't seen, but it seemed like the thing to do at the moment. Before she knew it, she was knocking on the door to Jinpachi's mansion. She was immediately let in and she ran up to Kazuya's room without any assistance—she knew the route by heart. Jun didn't know what to expect when she knocked on the door even if he didn't answer she would still go in which is what happened at the moment.

"Kazuya!" she called as she knocked, but there was no answer. "Kazuya, you sleepyhead!"

She opened the door that never seemed to be locked and saw a nice Kazuya-shaped bump on the bed—he was completely covered in comforters and positioned a little ways from his pillows. With a sigh, she marched up to his bed and shook him so profusely that it would take a rather dedicated sleeper to ignore her. Still all she received was a grumble.

"Do you know what time of year it is?"

"No…but I guess you'll tell me," Kazuya said through the covers.

"It's Halloween!" Jun said in an especially high-pitched voice.

"Now?"

"No, not now, but in a couple of days. You gotta' get ready for it."

Kazuya grumbled again. Then Jun watched as he crawled from under the covers and finally looked at her with bleary eyes, "What's a Halloween anyways?"

There was an obvious look of disbelief on Jun's face, "You really don't know?"

"I wouldn't be asking if I did."

"It's when you dress up in a scary costume and you go around people's houses and get candy and you're supposed to say 'Trick or Treat'."

"That sounds stupid."

"What?" Jun shouted.

"I don't know why I haven't suffered a loss of hearing with all your noise."

"Well, you're always so hard of hearing. I just told you about the coolest holiday ever and you called it stupid. You have to try it out first before you say that, you know."

"First of all…going around to random people's houses? What? And why the dress up?"

"You can be whoever you want to be for Halloween—someone cool and scary. Okay, you don't have to do the trick or treating but you can at least go to the Halloween party."

"So you're inviting me to a party?"

"Yes, if you want to dumb it down like that."

"And a party would be one of those things that people dance at and there's music, right?"

"Yeah."

"I'm failing to see how this would interest me."

"It's called having fun, you should do it sometimes. All you do is study, train, and sleep. That's _got_ to be getting boring."

"I do what's needed."

"The way I see it, you _need_ to go to this party with me. I mean…do you really want to stay in this house all the time?"

"Listen, Jun…I can't. There'll be so many people there…"

"Oh, Kazuya, you didn't tell me you had a phobia of crowds."

"No, that's not it."

"Then you don't like meeting new people."

"Jun…"

"Or maybe you're just too lazy to be sociable. Is it really going to hurt you so much? I know you've been through…a lot, but maybe this could be your first step to recovery."

"Jun, I'm telling you, I'm not going. I don't want to dress up and candy is pointless."

"I didn't think it was going to be _this _hard to get you to do it."

"If you're looking for someone to go with, why don't you try that other fool who lives down the street? I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

"No! I don't want to go with him!" Jun said becoming quite loud. Her eyes suddenly became watery, "I came here to ask you…to ask you to dress up with me. That's all. That's all I wanted from you. You don't have to be…such a jerk all the time!"

"Look at poor little Jun, are you gonna' cry about it?"

"I don't waste tears on losers." She couldn't help her face from becoming red. She began to feel quite heated. The longer she stared at him the harder it became to stop the moisture from spilling over. That smug look on his face…it was too much. She looked down and wiped her wetted eyes with her sleeves. She was unprepared when she felt a hand on her shoulder—she might have whipped out a punch if her mind hadn't quickly reminded her of how fruitless such things would be against him.

"Fine, I'll do it," Kazuya said steadily.

She was still gazing at the floor when he said this. Her mood skyrocketed quickly, but not instantly. "You enjoy torturing me…"

"No, not really. I was just…being an ass. Sorry."

Jun looked up in a surprised manner, "Did you just say…?"

"Don't make me say it again."

"Yeah…wouldn't want you to wear it out," Jun said with a slight sarcastic tone. "I wanted to ask you—my mom and I are going out to buy Halloween costumes, want to come with us?"

"Sure, I'm not doing anything."

"Really?" Jun asked in a surprised tone. She hadn't expected him to agree so quickly. Then she became suspicious. "What a minute, you're not planning something, are you?"

"Planning…? No," Kazuya said in a confused manner.

_Well, if he wants to be nice all of a sudden then I better make the best of it._ "Alright, just checking. I'll be downstairs waiting for you.

Jun didn't wait any longer than ten minutes before Kazuya joined her and then they headed off towards her house.

"So, do you have any costume ideas?" Jun asked Kazuya cautiously. She still couldn't believe that he had actually agreed to coming with her.

"Nothing comes to mind. I've never done this Halloween thing before."

"Have you done any sort of holiday before?"

"Holiday. It's a word I read before in books. In a way, I guess I already know, but it's just…foreign."

"Well, now, all that's about to change. Stick around and you'll find out about all the fun holidays—and the boring ones too."

"I can't wait," Kazuya said in a voice that suggested interest, but not exactly excitement.

Jun wasn't entirely sure what to make of Kazuya as of late. She had already established the fact that he was clearly acting differently, but it was still too good to be true. She'd have to get to the bottom of it at some point. Meanwhile, she would take him to meet her mom and not feel quite so anxious about it since he was being such a good boy. After all, this was the first time that Kazuya would actually step into her house—it was monumental, at least to her. Jun had deemed Kazuya incapable of leaving the security of his own mansion unless for special cases and there was no way that Kazuya would ever see the need in meeting her Mom.

"Hey, Mom!" Jun called as soon as she stepped into the house. Kazuya followed her closely behind and soon stood beside her when they were fully in.

Jun waited for her mom to come from the kitchen.

"Oh, and who is this?" Jun's mom questioned before Jun could get the chance to say anything.

"This is Kazuya, he's our neighbor—the boy I said I've been visiting all this time. And Kazuya, this is my mom."

"So _this_ is the proverbial boy I've been hearing about for some time. You just moved in with Mr. Mishima, then—he's a very busy man. It's a pleasure to finally get to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine," Kazuya said. Although when he said it, it sounded as if he was plotting something sinister…at least in Jun's opinion.

"You don't seem so bad; I wouldn't mind it at all if you visited more often, if it's okay with your father."

"I may have to take you up on that offer."

"Well, good, maybe Jun won't have to be out of my sight all the time. Alright then kids, to the car."

Jun looked at Kazuya sideways. _Seriously….this is getting kind of weird…it's like the twilight zone or something…_He seemed to ignore her looks, but there was no way that he could have missed them.

The trip to the costume shop was rather pleasant much to Jun's surprise. Mom turned on the radio to an R&B station and whenever a new song came on Kazuya would always politely ask what the song was and who was singing and then claim that he'd have to buy their albums. Jun sat in the back beside Kazuya quieter than usual with her arms crossed and one eyebrow raised. He seemed to get along quite well with her mother. Who would have predicted that? And did Kazuya really want to listen to R&B? Then again, what music did he like in the first place?

"We're almost there, kids," Jun's mom announced.

Jun perked up when she said this and looked through the window to search out the glowing sign of the "Costume Party" store.

"I can already see it," Jun said enthusiastically.

"Wow, it's so close by," Kazuya said who had managed to scoot over close enough to look out the same window as she.

Jun felt a warm feeling crawl across her face when she noticed his close vicinity. She could smell his breath which was an odd mix of baking soda and mint. Jun was almost sad when they had to get out the car. The cold rush of the air as soon as she stepped outside startled her, but it was only 73 degrees outside—not really cold at all…As they walked to the store, Jun wondered if holding hands would have been completely out of the question. He was just being so…amiable. In fact, he seemed quite content at the moment—a rare mood.

It was pretty crowded in the store during this time of year and traversing the store would be a pain. People seemed to be packed _everywhere_.

"Now, make sure to keep up," Jun heard her mom say. "We're going to the back, that's where the kid's costumes are at."

Jun gasped when she felt something take hold of her hand. She looked behind only to find herself lost in Kazuya's direct gaze.

"Wouldn't want to be separated," Kazuya said correctly reading the question on the tip of her tongue. "Let's keep up with your mom."

Jun led the way and Kazuya followed—it wasn't something she was used to doing, but it had happened once before on a random occasion. Then again, this entire moment seemed random. There was a permanent blush across her cheeks and there was no way she was going to hide it. Both her mom and Kazuya chose to make no comment on this fact as they went down the aisle that was directly in the back. Pictures of the costumes were placed on the wall and its number. If they saw what they liked, they would simply have to go to a blue vest wearing employee and they'd get the costume. Now for the choosing.

There was, of course, the witch costume. There were lots of these and it seemed like they got better and better every year.

"Now, Jun, you said you wanted something different. Let's make this trip worthwhile," Jun's mom said as she saw her daughter eyeing the new and improved witch costumes.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. From here on out, I'm going to ignore it…but, you know. Maybe Kazuya could be a warlock…" Jun said as she looked over at Kazuya who seemed practically mesmerized by everything.

"Now that would be cool," Jun's mom said thoughtfully, "You sure you want to keep the same theme from last year?"

"No, no. I said I wanted something different so I'm gonna' get something different."

Jun wondered over to Kazuya to see what he was looking at—clowns.

"I thought Halloween was supposed to be scary—what's with the dopey looking clowns?"

"Clowns are supposed to be scary, you know. Just look at its creepy smile."

"From what I know about clowns…aren't they supposed to smile?"

"Ugh, you don't get it. You haven't seen the movies."

"You're right about that."

"Oh my gosh, we should have a scary movie night!"

By now, Jun was through wondering why Kazuya was acting so differently and using it to her advantage. Watching movies was an activity she had long wished to do with him and this was a good excuse.

"Now, Jun," Jun's mom said overhearing the conversation, "You can barely stand to watch one scary movie before crawling under your covers forever."

"I'm not like that anymore," Jun said confidently, "I can handle it if I've seen it before."

"Right. So, seen anything of interest?" Jun's mom asked her.

Just as this was said, Jun's eyes caught sight of a pirate outfit. "We could be pirates!" Jun said joyously. Jun dragged Kazuya over to the picture she had seen "I could be the cool female pirate and you can be that swashbuckling pirate dude."

"I have to admit, that eye-patch is a nice touch," Kazuya said approvingly.

"Really? You like it too?"

"Whatever you choose to wear, I'll try to match with it. I really have no particular interest besides that."

Jun couldn't believe her ears. She hadn't even said as much and he already understood that she wanted to match. She guessed that it was rather obvious what she wanted, but it wasn't as if Kazuya was the type to notice those kinds of things. Really, what has gotten into him lately and how could she keep it that way? This would certainly be one of the best Halloween's she had.

"Make sure you look at all the costumes before you make the final choice," Jun's mom instructed.

"Okay," Jun said back.

The two of them—Jun and Kazuya—managed to look down the entire aisle before deciding on costumes that Jun deemed "cooler than pirates or vampires": Mortal Kombat. Kazuya was a little confused about it having never heard of the games or the movies or the animated series. Jun's mom might have been confused as well had she not noticed her daughter watching the animated series on TV—the games were a little much for a child her age to be playing though.

"I'll be Kitana and you be Sub-Zero."

"They have the same color scheme," Kazuya noticed.

"Yeah, but that's all they have in common. Whatever, Kitana is like the female version of Sub-Zero anyways so it all fits. Do you like it?"

"His outfit actually looks kinda' cool."

"He's a ninja. He fights just like you. It's like a match made in heaven. I'll go get Mom."

For a few moments, Kazuya stood by himself in front of the large picture of Sub-Zero costume. "I wonder why he has such a weird name. Must be his fighting technique."

Jun came back soon with her mom and pointed out the costume that she had chosen and then Kazuya's.

"Kazuya, did you want me to pay for it for you?" Jun's mother offered.

"There's no need. I was given enough money to cover the costs."

"Okay, then. Let's grab one of these employees."

They soon had their costumes in hand and also browsed a little while in the accessories and picked up some things there before finally heading off to the registers to pay for everything. Jun was absolutely stoked as they walked back to the car. They had spent a total of one hour and a half at the store, but Jun considered it time well spent. Any time spent doing two things she liked doing at the same time was never a waste; those two things being picking out a costume and hanging out with Kazuya.

Jun could tell that the other was a little tired when she noted him dropping off a few times in the seat beside her—the music did not help. Since it was getting a little late and both Jun and Kazuya still had homework to tend to, Jun's mom dropped Kazuya off at his house before going home.

"Bye, Kazuya! We'll have to try on our outfits tomorrow."

"Then I'll come over after your school ends."

"That'd be great."

"See you, Kazuya, don't be a stranger," Jun's mom said before taking off down the street a little ways to their house.

When she stepped out of the car and stood in the driveway, she tried to peer into the distance at Kazuya's driveway to see if perhaps he was still there, but she couldn't really see so far.

"Still thinking about him?" Jun's mom said startling the other.

"Um, no, I was just looking."

"You know, he seems like a really nice kid. The way you talked about him before, I thought…well, I wasn't expecting this."

"Join the party."

"I think it's a good sign," Jun's mom said with a grin.

/

Jun was already in a good mood, but now she was in a mood that was indescribably good. She missed her alarm clock and almost the entire school bus, but still she was happy. She received the second C of her life today on a Math test and still she was able to smile. Chaolan Lee seemed almost sullen, but it did little to affect her. She'd forgotten to ask mom for some more lunch money and wound up not having lunch at all and still she smiled. She tripped twice that day and people pointed and laughed at her clumsiness, but she never took it to heart. Today was a superb day despite the darkening clouds' warning of a downpour. It was bright and sunny in Jun's world.

Jun raced home as fast as she could as soon as she stepped off the bus and nearly ran headlong into Kazuya who had been waiting for her on her doorstep. She gave no thought to Lee who might have seen all this, shrugged, and continued back to Heihachi's residence. Could the day be any better? It was already drizzling.

"I must have come too early, but no matter—let's go in before we really get wet."

"Okay," Jun said with a smile. "I hope you weren't waiting for too long."

"About thirty minutes."

Jun looked at him in a shocked manner. "You really were early. I'm sorry to make you wait."

"It was really no problem…do I ever have anything to do?"

"You know, that's what I always say."

Jun couldn't wait to try on the costumes. She had to will herself last night to not tear open the package and put it on before today. After showing Kazuya to the bathroom, she zipped upstairs to her room and began her transformation. She took so long that she was certain that Kazuya was already ready by the time she came downstairs again.

She was no longer looking at Kazuya—she was looking at Sub-Zero. His costume was…flawless (pun intended).

"So what do you think?" Jun asked as she twirled around in order to reveal the entire costume.

"I think it makes you look very beautiful."

Jun almost fainted from his rather bold comment before she caught herself—she only wavered a little.

"You okay?" Kazuya asked noticing her movements.

"Fine, I'm fine. It's just…Well, you look great too."

"It's very lithe. It wouldn't be entirely impractical to fight in. Although, why is it that he calls himself Sub-Zero? Is he…cold-hearted maybe?"

"No, he can shoot ice at you—it's his element. He's one of the top fighters in Mortal Kombat. He's sort of like an anti-hero. Some times he's good, sometimes he's bad. I guess it just depends on the situation. You know, if you played the game, you'd really understand."

"Well, I don't really play games, but if you insist…"

"No, no, you don't really have to do it—I didn't think you'd actually _want_ to…"

"You're right, you know, Jun. There's only three things I ever find myself doing and those are things that are needed."

"Alright, that does it. Who are you and what have you done with Kazuya?"

"What?"

"Don't try to act confused. You've been acting weird ever since yesterday, ever since…you said that you'd come with me to the costume shop."

"Who knows? Maybe I've run out of insults to give."

"That's not an answer!"

"You're…happy, right?"

"Well, yeah, but…"

"Then that's all that matters. Now, before you start asking anymore questions—I still have a lot of homework to get to."

"But, Kazuya, hey, wait!"

"Yes," Kazuya said exasperatedly.

"Well, since you've decided to turn a new leaf for no apparent reason, I'd like to invite you to trick or treating."

"You just love pushing your luck, don't you?"

"Well, Kazuya, what do you say?"

"Fine," he said rubbing the back of his neck, "I'll do it. It's only for one night anyways."

"Yay!" Jun said excitedly, "You don't know how much this means to me."

"You're right, I don't."

"I can barely tell who you are when you're all dressed like that."

"Maybe it's a good thing. Countless other people will see me in this thing and I don't want people to know that it's me."

"No one even knows you. Lee would be the only one to figure out."

"Good," Kazuya said as he finally walked out the door.

"Don't be a stranger!" Jun shouted when he was a good distance away.

"You know, I never understood what that meant," he said with a grin. He waved briefly.

Jun closed the door and smiled brightly to herself. She still didn't quite understand what exactly was up with Kazuya, but it didn't matter anymore. Tomorrow would be Halloween and it would be a day to remember. Jun could barely sleep that night. It was like the night before Christmas when no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't fall asleep. She closed her eyes to no avail. She wondered if Kazuya was nearly as excited as she—she doubted it, but it was an entertaining notion.

/

TOMORROW NIGHT:

"Having any second thoughts?" Jun asked Kazuya teasingly as they stood in front of their first house.

Jun's mom was in the car at the driveway and she had allowed them to go up to the place themselves, but the house did seem rather spooky.

"Is there a reason for all these decorations?" Kazuya asked finally.

"It's Halloween decorations. You're supposed to decorate your house if you're handing out candy."

"Really? I didn't realize that there was a certain…ettiquette."

"C'mon, let's go already."

"This is so embarrassing. I have no idea how I got dragged into this," Kazuya said with a sigh.

With his comparably small shuriken themed candy basket, he trudged up the lawn with Jun to the brightly lit house full of pumpkins, ghosts, and spider webs.

"Just follow my lead," Jun said right before she knocked on the door.

A middle aged woman came to the door with a fantastically large bowl of chocolate candy.

"Wow," Kazuya said under his breath. Luckily, his costume basically covered up his mouth and left only his eyes showing.

"Trick or treat!" Jun said excitedly, "You have to say it too," Jun said nudging the other.

She didn't see the apparent frown on his face, "Fine. Trick or treat," Kazuya said as quickly as possible. He wondered if he would then be expected to jump on one leg and rub his head and stomach at the same time…

"Don't you two look cute together? Take as much as you want now, not many kids come 'round here. Oh, just one handful? Take a couple."

The two of them filled almost half of their baskets by the time it was all over with. Jun walked back to the car with a satisfied look on her face.

"I'd say that was a good run. People usually give out maybe one or two pieces of candy."

"So much…chocolate," Kazuya said staring down at it as if it was instead a pile of pure gold.

"We have to wait 'til we get back home before we can eat it. On to the next house!" Jun said excitedly.

The three of them—Jun, Kazuya, and Jun's mom—went through the entire neighborhood and ended up with an overflowing amount of candy. Jun couldn't have been more pleased and Kazuya couldn't have been more fascinated. The level of generosity from the people in the neighborhood was quite frankly appalling to Kazuya. He had gotten that they would be going around to people's doors and getting candy, but saying it and actually doing it was two different things. All he had to say was the magic password and viola candy, but only on this night, only on Halloween night. It was a very strange phenomenon in Kazuya's opinion.

They drove back to Jun's house and emptied their baskets on the floor. The pile of candy was quite impressive. And what exactly does one do with so much candy? Jun was the first to demonstrate their next course of action which was to proceed to eating as much as one could before passing out. Of course, Jun's mom had warned them against doing as much, but it was hard to resist a pile of such goodness. Kazuya couldn't remember the last time he had partaken of chocolate or any sort of candy at all—he hadn't realized how much he enjoyed it nor did he take into account the inevitable energy boost that would result.

The only thing Jun's Mom could hear from her bedroom upstairs was the sounds of scrambling feet and laughter. She might have come downstairs to supervise them if she didn't know that they would soon tire themselves out. In about an hour or so, it became very quiet and she smiled to herself. Kids. As strange and reclusive Jun had claimed this Kazuya to be, he was still just a child and was wont to do as children did. She would have to call up Jinpachi's household and inform them that Kazuya would be spending the night.

/

Jun was the first to wake up the next day and quite early in the morning. It had been a rather wild last night. Jun, who was already a hyper person to begin with, became doubly so and somehow Kazuya had been able to keep up with her. She'd think of something ridiculous and he'd barrel forward and do just that much to her amusement. Whatever fooleries they had wound up doing, eventually they found themselves in a pseudo-fight which consisted of rolling about all over the living room floor and a lot of tackling and retackling. When they grew tired of the whole thing, they would pretend as if they were in a spaceship constantly being attacked by asteroids, aliens, vultures, rhinos, and giraffes never mind that some of these things couldn't fly or breathe in space—they only needed an excuse to tumble and lurch over each other. At some point, they even ran into another humungous ship which caused them to crash in which case they infiltrated the new ship and continued on. Anything was possible. Sometimes they wouldn't be on a ship at all and break into a random game of tag. It was complete ridiculousness.

Kazuya was pretty much sprawled out on the floor and presumed dead. Jun didn't even begin to try to get him up, but she did begin to clean up the mess they made. There were candy wrappers everywhere. She made quite a bit of noise, but Kazuya was unperturbed. Jun gave a huge sigh.

"I swear the entire world could be falling apart and you'd sleep through all of it," Jun said exasperatedly.

"Have a good time last night?"

Jun jumped a little at the new voice, but turned quickly to her mom, "I'm really sorry! I'll clean everything up."

"No, no, I'm not mad, sweetie. It's Halloween anyways. Besides, I don't think I've seen you have this much fun in a while. Looks like you've finally found someone who can keep up with you and your wild imagination and energy bursts."

"Yeah, I guess I have, but it's no fun trying to get him up. Any suggestions?"

"Let him rest. We can't all be wind-up toys," Jun's mom said with a teasing smile.

"Hey!" Jun said in a playfully pouting tone. "Guess you're right. I got to get ready for school before I'm late. Love you mom!"

"Love you too," Jun's mom replied as the girl rushed up the stairs. "Now what am I going to do with you?" Jun's mom asked as she looked at the quite peacefully looking boy on the floor.

Jun left for school so quickly that the woman scarcely knew when it actually happened. By that time, she had lifted up the small boy and placed him on one the couches in the living room.

"Now don't you have school to get to?"

As if in response to her question, her phone began to ring. The woman quickly picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Would you be Jun's mother?"

"Yes, this is her. And who are you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Mr. Takahashi. Do you still have Kazuya in your possession?"

"Yes I do. Did you want to come and get him? He's still asleep."

"No, no need for that. He's never missed a day of school before so I think I can let him go for the day. It's not very often that he ever steps foot out of the mansion; it's a nice change of pace. Tell him to come back whenever he wakes up. I understand that he likes to sleep a lot."

"Well, if that's the case, then you won't be seeing him for quite some time. You know how kids get after a lot of sugar."

"Energy crash, I see."

"Although, Jun is unaffected. I'm not surprised."

"Well, I don't want to hold you up."

"Until then."

Jun's mom couldn't stay there for long since she had work so she wrote a note and placed it at his feet in hopes that he would notice it. If not, then she wouldn't mind, but she was almost certain that he would head for home on his own.

"Alright, kid, stay safe," Jun's mom said before leaving the house.

As it were, it took another four hours before Kazuya woke up on his own. It took him a full minute to realize where he was. Waking up to a place other than the mansion was a little startling. He noticed the note left for him a little bit later before he stood up and looked around for Jun only to conclude that she had probably gone off to school. School. Right, he had completely missed it by this time. Kazuya folded up the sheet of paper and quickly made his way down the street to his home. He managed to make it back to his room without anyone noticing (like the ninja he appeared to be) and he took off the costume as soon as he could. He washed off and put on a new set of clothes which was followed by a trip to the kitchen to grab a few snack foods. Candy for dinner had severely ruined his appetite for actual food—snacks would be fine for now. After missing his tutor and skipping a session of training and proper food, he at least wanted to do one thing right for the day.

The gym was his next destination and he stayed there for only a little bit deciding that he should save his energy for that party that Jun was so stoked about. He took another shower and put on another set of clothes before finally determining that he had absolutely nothing to do for a while. As he usually did on such occasions, he'd stare at the ceiling idly while lying flatly on his bed. Such a boring pastime. He'd also switch on some music for good measure, but after listening to that R&B music that Jun's mom had played in the car—he found the tunes he was listening to to be rather loud and jarring. There was a time and place, he supposed. Besides, by now he had listened to every single song off of every album so much that he knew the words by heart, but he never chose to actually sing them out loud. He'd have to ask Takahashi about getting a wider music selection.

He couldn't believe he was thinking along such lines. Was this what his life was now? Full of the mundane? Full of boredom, Jun, and more boredom? Then again, was it really all that bad? If the rest of his life were spent like this, he wouldn't mind it in the least. After all the excitement and strangeness, perhaps normalcy wasn't such a bad thing. But Kazuya knew better than to continue thinking like this. Normalcy would always be just out of his grasp. He could claw for it all he wanted, he could pretend like everything was "honkey dory" in front of other people, lie to himself that his future was not enveloped in this large, dark cloud, but it would be to no avail. The thing about facts was that it was impossible to get around and Kazuya knew for a fact where his life was headed even it didn't seem that way now, even if he could no longer sense Devil. "It" would always be there hiding in the shadows waiting to pounce.

And there was that image of Jun that he could not erase from his memories. It wasn't until yesterday that he realized that he could easily make her cry and much to his surprise it wasn't something he was proud of. She could be angry or upset or even sad, but something about her tears did not sit well with him—they were the telltale signs that he had gone too far. Jun was the person who had continued to stick by him despite knowing that there was something seriously wrong with, something sinister about him. Yet she would come and see him fearlessly as if everything was alright or very close to being so. Kazuya realized that if he could bring a person like that to tears, then there really was no hope for him. There was no way that he would say as much to Jun no matter how much she pried.

At that moment, when Jun glared back at him with those large, dark eyes of hers full of grief, anger, and disappointment, he knew that he had done something gravely wrong and that if he continued in this way he would regret it just like that time when they had stopped seeing each other. He never wanted to have a repeat of that. In fear of such a thing happened again, he did the only thing he knew would make her happy once again. For the first time, he was glad that Jun wasn't the type to stay sad for long.

He wondered how long this would last, this leaf he had decided to turn on a whim. For as long as he could stand it, he supposed. It wasn't so bad. In fact, he began to realize something that he hadn't noticed before. When she was happy, so was he no matter if he was embarrassed or completely out of his element. He couldn't quite figure out the cause for such a correlation, but then again, maybe he was too young to know as much.

/

An elemental ninja and an Edenia Princess walked casually together towards the stylishly decked out gym. Whispers went all around. The Edenia Princess had never even vaguely shown any romantic interest in anyone. She was what many believed to be "off limits". While she was cute and well-liked, no one could ever bridge that gap. No one except the mysterious ninja who seemed to have her complete attention. Who was this ninja? No one could pinpoint his name. His arms were well muscled and his gait was very sure and confident and his eyes were deep and enigmatic.

"We finally made it," the Edenia Princess said to her ninja—she was better known as Jun.

"It wasn't so far away, but I can already see the crowds gathering. Is this how a 'party' is?" the ninja said back—he was better known as Kazuya.

"Trust me, there's nothing out of the ordinary."

When they stepped in, they were met by a pitch black room filled with bright colorful lights flashing from the walls and ceiling. It was enough to startle Kazuya and he was immediately on his guard.

"Jun, there's something I have to ask of you." Jun turned to him as he said this. She was caught off guard when he placed his hand into hers, "Let's not get separated."

He said this in such a serious tone that Jun suspected that there was more to his statement than he was letting on, but she didn't push for anymore explanation. She understood that he was uncomfortable around crowds—it just made it even more incredible that he had agreed to coming with her tonight.

"Don't worry," Jun replied, "There's no reason for us to."

Just as Jun suspected, Kazuya had no idea what dancing was, but Jun was determined to change this as she dragged him with her out to the hordes of children and extra loud music. After instructing him to follow her lead, then all was well. He caught on pretty quickly much to Jun's amusement. For someone who was the very antonym to the word fun, he seemed to be having no trouble at all. They never lost sight of each other the entire night and near the end, they finally decided to call it quits and sit down at one of the tables off to the side. Jun could spot a few couples who had been there for the majority of the dance. She shook her head in pity. Why come to a dance if you weren't planning on dancing?

They were both visibly tired out when they sat down.

"So, how'd you like it?" Jun asked the other.

"Who would have thought that this 'dancing' could be another form of exercising."

"There's a world of difference between picking up some weights and dancing, isn't there?"

Jun couldn't see the grin that he gave her from underneath his head mask. "And this is what people call fun?"

"Yep."

"There, now you can't accuse me of never doing anything besides work anymore."

"Nope, I guess not."

"Let's go outside already—I'm soaked."

"Okay," Jun said getting up just as Kazuya did.

There was plenty of candy conveniently placed on all the tables, but Kazuya and Jun had already had their fill and they would not be prepared to consume any more of it until weeks later at the least. So it was that the Edenia Princess and her loyal ninja escaped into the night air away from the noise, sweat, and blinking lights. It took a moment for their ears to grow accustomed to the quietness of the outside and their eyes to adjust.

"Kazuya, you know I have no idea what goes through your mind all the time, but you've been really different lately and I have to admit, I'm kind of getting used to it. But somehow…somehow I'm afraid that it won't always be this way."

"People change, you know. At least, that's what my grandfather told me. I don't expect you to be exactly like this in a few years and you shouldn't expect it from me."

"I guess when you put it that way…"

"I've really enjoyed this night, even more than I thought I would."

"Good 'cus I did too. I would say that we should do this more often, but Halloween only comes around once a year."

"Once is good enough for me. I still have a lot of 'things' to take care of."

"Like?"

"Well, nothing that you should worry yourself over."

"And the mystery returns. You really are a ninja, aren't you?"

"In costume only."

Just then, a crackle of thunder went off overhead. Jun visibly jumped from the sudden noise. Kazuya was unperturbed and found her reaction to be amusing.

"There's that storm that's been threatening to come down for a while. Now is a better time than ever, I guess," Kazuya said thoughtfully to Jun.

"Mom should be here any minute to take us back." Jun searched the parking lot with her eyes just in case she was already waiting for them. "Kazuya," Jun began slowly, "Were you really being serious back there when you said that you had fun tonight?"

"It isn't something I would lie about," Kazuya answered unsure of where this was going.

"Then…I wish this night would never end."

Of course, that sort of wish could never come true, but a girl was allowed to dream if only for a moment. They'd go home that night and the next day would start and the next day and the next day and so on. Time itself could be very uncaring. It was a cold and heartless thing and at the same time inevitable. Jun didn't quite understand why her mood dampened a little as she laid in her bed that night. Despite having experienced one of the best two days of her life, she felt an uncanny despondency.

/

AN: Sorry for the wait. I might have come out with another chapter sooner had I not lost the flash drive with my work on it. This chapter is nothing like the one I had planned on putting up and you can tell where I got the inspiration from for this one. Anyways, there was a certain point that I wanted to cover in this chapter and as long as that was done, then I can get over the fact that I lost that flash drive. I had some suggestions about other characters which I could put into this story—I haven't exactly come up with a clever way of introducing them, but have no fear. Also, just for the heads up, there'll finally be a time skip come the next chapter. We'll be that much closer to the inevitable King of Iron Fist Tournament. For those who are still reading this, thanks for your patience. I'll try to be a little quicker in my updates especially since Thanksgiving break is close at hand.


	18. Despondency

AN: Remember when I told you that my flash drive had been stolen which had two unpublished chapters on them? Well, one of my friends found it and gave it back to me. I was so happy about that. So happy in fact, that I want to integrate them into the story. 17 and 18 are the missing chapters. I'll keep The Halloween Chapter and place the two newly found chapters afterwards. "The Final Decision on the Matter" chapter will then go after those two, but I will re-upload an updated version of it since it sort of conflicts with the two new chapters coming. So don't be surprised everyone: I'm switching the latest chapter, "The Final Decision", and putting it after the two new chapters. It's the only way I could make it work plotline wise. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 18: Despondency (Ten Years Later)

Kazuya didn't understand why he felt the way he felt on this day. He stared at his math textbook with a complete lack of interest. On a normal day, he'd at least want to start and get finished with his homework—now it seemed too much of a bother. For the third time that day, he sighed to himself. He hadn't even been interested in eating breakfast….and he loved eating. He might have been starving by now, but he hardly noticed or cared. Kazuya knew that he had to get his math done so he opened the shiny book and flipped to the page with the chapter problems. He found himself staring at the derivative problems and completely blanking out. He'd get nothing done under these conditions.

With arms crossed behind his head, he sat back in his desk chair and his eyes traveled to the ceiling. There were a lot of things to feel thankful for, wasn't there? Over the last ten years, Kazuya had begun to realize that there were plenty of things in his life to be grateful about. He was fifteen now and could more clearly evaluate his life. For one thing, there was Jinpachi. He was every bit of a father that Kazuya could ever expect plus more. Until him, Kazuya couldn't even remember a time when he dared to trust in another adult. Jinpachi had proven himself and Kazuya was glad to have gotten to know him. Busy as he was, he had still managed to have quite a heavy impact on Kazuya. If the world really was full of betrayers and idiots as Devil had told him at some point during the time he had run away from Heihachi, Jinpachi would not exist nor would Jun. Jun was an anomaly, Kazuya knew, but she still existed. One couldn't expect to find such a caring person on a regular basis and Kazuya counted himself lucky to have known a person like that. She still visited him, but not as much as before. School had begun to take up more and more of her time as she took far more difficult courses. She planned to go to a prestigious university and the best way to do that was to take college level courses. Kazuya saw her perhaps twice a week at the most. Whenever she visited, they'd wound up just talking and it could have been about anything. Both of them were busy pursuing their goals and when she visited (or sometimes Kazuya would visit her), the only thing they'd feel like doing was talking. It was oddly relaxing. Jun was perfect in Kazuya's eyes even if she could sometimes annoy him or use her secret tickling torture if she wanted to get him to talk. Not to mention that when he was around her, he dared to think of a future that he could be proud of, full of joy and happiness.

Even the sound of those words made Kazuya cringe. Joy and happiness were both emotions that were in utter contrast to what he felt now. Maybe he was just being ridiculous or ungrateful, but he couldn't shake that feeling. He closed his textbook after getting sick of staring at the equations and took his leave from the room. Of course, his grandfather was not here especially in the afternoon. The only people here were his housemaids and a few guards. Kazuya stepped out into Jinpachi's garden, the very same one he had been mesmerized by as a boy. Beautiful things still fascinated him. It wasn't until a few years ago though, that he had actually gotten the nerve to actually go into the garden. For some reason, he always seemed to make things far more complicated than they really were. There were never any laws against going there—it was just that Jinpachi had never invited him. Turns out it had been a minor oversight on Jinpachi's part. In his words, "Of course you can go into the garden. It's open to anyone who wants to come. I think it's a great place to do your homework." He had made it sound so obvious. Kazuya wondered why he had been so anxious about it in the first place.

He made his way easily to his favorite spot. Aster, Clematis, Crocus, Hydrangea, Morning Glory, Orchids, Passionflowers, Petunias, and Rhododendron all grew in its purple varieties as they sparkled in the full light of the sun. There was a bench in this very spot that Kazuya chose to sit at. It wasn't until he saw so many fully bloomed purple flowers in one place that he discovered that he rather liked that color. There was no particular reason behind it, he simply found it pleasing. On this day, however, even their vibrant colors did nothing to brighten his mood. It was starting to get a little frustrating. Why feel so despondent if there was no reason for it? It wasn't as if something horrible had happened yesterday and he was way over the fact that he had once been thrown off a cliff. Kazuya believed that he had already accepted his life the way it was and that there was no need to dwell on the negative. How could that explain this day? Maybe there was something he was overlooking.

And that was when he thought of his mother. Wasn't this the very same day of her death? Yes, that was it. He could hardly remember her passed the fact that she had been nice. He couldn't even remember her face. It was all just a vague memory, but it seemed to matter the most today. He knew her death had been premature at the hands of some kind of fire. The entire event was blurry. He couldn't determine his role in the whole thing or how he had made it out alive. It didn't matter so much to him now—he was alive and still able to move on with his life.

"Mother, what would you think of me now? Have I made you proud?" he asked to the clouds as he looked up.

Above all else, he wanted to make her proud. He didn't know her very well, but he always felt this need to make her happy. She seemed like a warm person who was capable of rewarding good behavior.

"Kazuya…"

The voice itself sounded strange and foreign, but it was somehow familiar. He knew it to be that of Devil's. It was far away and whispery, but he could still hear it. He chose not to respond, however. Devil's voice could always be heard at times like these whenever Kazuya found himself in a less than content mood.

"Kazuya…"

Jun wouldn't be visiting today. She was busy studying for the fast approaching exams. This was not a good time to dwell in a depressed state. The only thing Kazuya could think to do was train. It was the only thing that took his mind off of all else. When he was fighting or at least pretending to fight something, his mind would suddenly become one-track. While the garden was beautiful, it would always cause his mind to wonder about things better left unknown. He knew his mother to have died in a fire, but then he would get this feeling that there was something missing. It was only a feeling—an annoying one—but a feeling nonetheless. Kazuya sighed once again and took his leave from the garden. He made a beeline to the main gym that he would always workout in. There was no more set time to his training—it was whenever he felt like it. These days that meant whenever Jun wasn't around to pester him and drag him away from his often darkening thoughts.

With age he had gotten stronger. Jinpachi's attack which had once been able to incapacitate him easily could now be blocked or evaded. That was only the beginning, he knew. He still couldn't actually defeat Jinpachi when he was serious, but he knew he had made some headway. He only had to keep getting stronger. Electricity came at brief spurts as his fists pounded into the punching bag over and over again. As he put more and more force behind his punches, the electricity became more apparent. Then he started on his kicking. He found that these were just as powerful as his punches—or at least he judged them to be. Kazuya tired of the punching bag pretty quickly and moved on to lifting weights. It was the best way to gain muscles, he knew. Tiring himself out over an entire day of lifting weights was a time well spent in Kazuya's opinion. Gaining more muscles meant that the skills that he had already developed would become that much more devastating.

He continued on in this manner for quite a few hours before calling it quits. By the time he reached the end of his workout, he could hardly even stand, but that was fine. After putting up the weights, he sat down tiredly near it with one of his knees up and his arm resting on it. His eyes looked exclusively at the tiled floor. He held no discernible expression as he did so—he hadn't felt like pondering about anything. Rather, he enjoyed the feel of traversing pain that had often accompanied intense sessions of training—it was natural and oddly comforting. He waited patiently for his breathing to become steady again before even thinking about moving. Strangely, though, he found himself falling asleep. It wasn't often that he failed at making it back to his room, but this day was different out of all the others. He simply couldn't get up the strength to follow his normal routine.

His mood hadn't changed much, he realized. Even trying to think of nothing couldn't change that fact. This should have been a day like any other full of pointless, but necessary activities. Kazuya didn't expect excitement or anything surprising. A steady, unchanging life was something Kazuya wanted despite the fact that he knew it would be rather boring. It was safe, however, very safe and free of a fearful future. He wished to end all thoughts of the future and continue to live in an endless wheel of set routines. That would be just perfect.

Kazuya's eyes were closed now and he had opted to lean against the weight's rack and then later simply decided to lay out on the floor which was only slightly more comfortable. It didn't matter to Kazuya. Little things like comfort and convenience was considered one of the many pointless things he would encounter in life. But if so many things were pointless, what exactly did matter to Kazuya? Was it just training that mattered to him or was the goal that training was supposed to achieve a matter of importance? Did he still care about his goal or was he just wasting his time here in a gym? And why, no matter how he tried to convince himself otherwise, did he feel so guilty when he deviated even a little from training every day? What goal did he want to achieve—whose goal?

"Kazuya…"

"Leave me alone…" he murmured—he was only partially awake.

"Kazuya, my child…you have been naughty…"

"I don't care about you…I don't care what you think…"

"You will, Kazuya…eventually, you will…"

/

The years had been kind to Chaolan Lee. Despite initially having little luck with connecting with his fellow peers, by this time, they were starting to warm up to him. Instead of being put off by his hair, they were fascinated. Instead of being left out because he was quite rich, they were impressed by this. If there was one thing that increased Lee's popularity twofold, it was his money or at least his claim to it. Many parties would be held at his place. After about two of such parties, the stigma about Lee's adoptive father magically disappeared. As long as it never bothered them, then it didn't matter. As for Heihachi, he had no protests to the sudden explosion of activity at the house especially since he thought it was a good idea that Lee was building a positive image of himself at least with the youths—it bolstered Heihachi's image as well. Heihachi barely even came to his estate in the first place so Lee saw little of him and he was basically given free reign.

The entire school knew of Chaolan Lee. Along with that, Lee had a small group of friends who would visit him on a regular basis until it seemed as if they lived there. Now this small group that always hung around Lee was not one that Lee particularly liked, but they were attached and Lee didn't want to hurt their feelings. It was three boys and they each worshiped the very ground that Lee tread upon. He hated them, but he loved them. He was never alone anymore. He didn't have to duck out of activities because he couldn't find a partner or a group. He felt secure in his social life that there would always be someone beside him even if that person was a complete fool. It was something that Lee could live with for now, but he knew that he wanted more.

Jun hardly ever came to see him anymore. He might have been more upset if he could blame this entirely on Kazuya, but he knew that Jun was busy building a strong foundation for herself in going to college and becoming a veterinarian. He knew that she was meant for something great. All he could do now was root for her from the sidelines.

"Lee, you look incredible today," one of his faceless friends commented to a Lee that was lost in thought.

"Ah, yes, you never fail to remind me."

In a few years, Lee expected that he would get tired of this and ditch them forever. Besides, there was college in his future as well. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be anywhere near the one that Jun planned on attending. He'd have to face a world unknown to him—a world known as America. Already, he was studying English so that he wouldn't be a complete oddball upon living there.

He knew that he was drawing closer and closer to his ultimate goal which was to become in charge of the Tekken Zaibatsu. He was patient and knew that surely he'd outlive his adoptive father. It would be a matter of waiting after receiving the proper education.

/

Jinpachi climbed several flights of stairs before getting to Kazuya's room. Only after knocking on the door a few times did he realize that the room was unoccupied. He opened the door and stepped in briefly. It was night time and well past Kazuya's bedtime—or at least the bedtime that Kazuya had established for himself. Kazuya must have been asleep by now, but just not in this room. He probably hadn't been able to make it back to his room—an occurrence that happened rarely and usually when Kazuya was less mindful of his own limits.

Today was the day of her death. He knew something was wrong when Kazuya had missed dinner. He had come up to see how he was doing and his suspicions had been made true. For good measure, Jinpachi looked into the room beside this one and took note of the growing collection of tennis shoes. There was twice as much as there had been before. Jinpachi flicked the light on and rows upon rows of pearly whites and fresh, shiny shoes stared back at him. If Jinpachi was into tennis shoes, he might have called it beautiful. Instead, the whole thing struck him as strange. He'd heard of people collecting quarters, manga, or insects…but not athletic shoes. Then again, Jinpachi was not an expert on things concerning this.

Jinpachi climbed downstairs and out to the main gym. The lights were still on when he stepped in. It wasn't hard to discover Kazuya near the weights.

"Ah, Kazuya, sometimes you don't know what's good for you."

Jinpachi bent down and lifted him up easily in his strong arms.

"No…leave me alone…" Kazuya grumbled to no one in particular. His eyes were still closed.

Jinpachi assumed that he was only mindlessly responding to being moved in any way. If only that were true.

"I'm sure you'd rather be in a bed than on this hard floor."

"I won't…ever listen to you."

Jinpachi only caught some of that, but he took it with a grain of salt. He thought that he might have a little chat with Kazuya, but he'd have to wait until tomorrow. Kazuya made no more comments the rest of the way. Upon placing him back into his familiar bed, Kazuya, as if it were programmed, immediately pulled the covers very closely to him so that he was surrounded by it. A bed was always nicer than a floor, but Kazuya was liable to sleep anywhere whether it was comfortable or not.

Jinpachi took note of his grimacing. A bad dream, perhaps. It would make perfect sense especially on a day like this. How much really did he recall of his mother?—obviously enough to make him feel something on her death's anniversary. Perhaps it was time he was told the full story. He was old enough now and it seemed as if he had made a recovery from Heihachi's upbringing—at least to a certain extent.

He was nicer, much nicer than before. Jinpachi could occasionally find a smile on Kazuya's face if only for a fleeting moment and only if it was incited by someone else. Jinpachi didn't always have to wrangle a conversation out of him at every dinner—sometimes, he really did have something to say. He had his own thoughts uninfluenced by others—a fact that made Jinpachi quite relieved. The "robo"-Kazuya from before was incapable of making his own plans and setting his own schedule. He could have sat all day in one place staring at nothing, but it seemed that this had changed. Soon to be taking on more responsibilities, Jinpachi needed the other to be far more independent.

Jinpachi had great plans for Kazuya as well. Whether Kazuya would accept them or not was another problem altogether. The best that Jinpachi could hope to do was give him a few more options that he didn't know he had. His future was not set in stone, but Jinpachi dreamed of one where they could work together and form an even stronger bond. That was exactly what his corporation needed.


	19. An Outing

AN: Just in case you didn't read in the last chapter, I've moved what used to be Chapter 18 to the Chapter 20 slot. I've added two new chapters, this one being the second of them. Also I tweaked Chapter 20 just a little.

Chapter 19: An Outing

The one thing that Kazuya feared the most was the future yet he found his mind wandering to that very topic with increasing regularity. It was as if the older he got and the closer the "future" became, the more he began to wonder. He knew it was no use worrying himself to death about it, but he already knew that one thing was going to happen no matter how he tried to cut it. Unless he could find a way to rid himself of Devil, then basically his future was set in a stone perfectly sculpted by his once savior. In a way, Kazuya saw that his life belonged to Devil and that there should be some kind of repayment, but what would be the use of saving someone if all one would do is take that very person's life?

There was no use in thinking. He could only let things run their course whatever that may be. The loud music that was playing in the background helped him to clear his mind. All he heard was the words and he concentrated only on them. The lead singer's voice in Nightmare was always quite intriguing to Kazuya. He could listen to it all day and never tire of it. His listening time, however, was cut short when he heard a knock at the door.

"Come in!" Kazuya shouted over the music.

Kazuya was surprised, pleasantly surprised, when he saw that it was Jimpachi. He sat up in bed immediately and used the small remote to turn off the stereo completely.

"Grandfather, I didn't expect to see you at this hour."

"Well, even heads of corporations have their days off."

"It must be hard working all the time around the clock."

"You would know, wouldn't you? The maids tell me that when you're not working on your homework, you're in that gym. Perseverance like that is hard to come by. I'm glad that you've decided to take a little break today."

"Yeah, well, I was lazy and didn't feel like doing anything requiring energy today. Besides, Jun tells me she might come over today."

"That cellphone that I gave you—I can only guess how many numbers you have on it. Two, right?"

"Actually three. Jun, insisted on giving me Lee's number. Not that I'll ever call it."

"I'll never understand why you hate that boy so much, but so be it. I actually came here for a specific reason, Kazuya. I thought it was time you knew what happened to your mother."

"I know what happened to her."

"Oh, you do, huh."

"She died in a fire."

"You think that's all there is to it?" Jinpachi asked as he stepped in and closed the door behind him.

"Ultimately."

"Do you want to know how that fire started?"

Kazuya sighed, "Are you trying to tell me that there was some foul play at work? I don't really care…it won't bring her back anyhow."

"That's really good to hear. I'm glad that you were able to move past that, but perhaps subconsciously you still wonder. Something doesn't sit right with you with the whole thing and every time her anniversary comes, you go back to those same thoughts."

"It's not like that…"

"Well now, how do you think you got to your bed last night? The wind? Now something must have been bothering you."

Not knowing was perhaps a third of what was really bothering Kazuya last night, but he couldn't tell Jinpachi that. It would open up an entire new can of worms and he could tell that Jinpachi would be more than happy to discuss that as well. No matter how much he trusted Jinpachi, he wasn't going to saddle him with the bane of his existence known as Devil. Jinpachi wanted an answer, Kazuya knew. Jinpachi wouldn't be happy until he knew or thought he knew what had concerned Kazuya so much yesterday. Most people his age would have thought it was annoying or nosy, but Kazuya didn't feel that way. He was more glad than anything else. Even more he felt obligated. Kazuya didn't know too many people who would be willing or even care to hear his thoughts on things. He kept things to himself because he felt that no one would care to hear them, but here was a person specifically asking for them, totally interested in what he had to say. It was a nice change of pace. Was Jinpachi cutting into his most private thoughts? No, they were no longer private when there was someone willing to listen.

"You're right," Kazuya said finally, "I always wondered if there was more to that story. I don't really understand what happened that night. Just that there was a fire."

"The fire started when you were in the house. Your mother was cooking something on the stove—a task that someone in her condition should not have been doing."

"What was her condition?"

"She was paralyzed from her waist down. According to her parents, she was born that way and had adapted to it."

"Why was she cooking then?"

"Well it was midday, right around the time that lunch should be made."

"For me, right? She was cooking because she wanted to have something ready after I woke up."

"Look, if you're trying to make this your fault—

"No, I'm not," he said with a frown.

Jinpachi looked at the other closely, but then continued. "She fainted from exhaustion—at least that is the most logical explanation for why the next part happened. Her sleeves caught on fire because it was too close to the eye. She was wearing a shirt that was 100% cotton—a very flammable material. Slowly, the entire house became consumed by the flames since there was no one to stop it. Your father was nowhere to be seen until the last moment. He came in and rescued you. That was how you survived."

Kazuya didn't even want to imagine what his mother looked like moments before the fire overtook her. If she fainted and her sleeves were close enough to catch on fire, where had her head been placed? Had it melted as well? He closed his eyes and looked away from his grandfather as an image he would have rather not seen flashed through his mind.

"I'm sorry if I—

Kazuya shook his head, "There's no need for apologies. I understand now. My father had something to do with her death. Why would a caring husband leave his invalid wife with his son all alone? Why had there been no one else in the house? Where were the maids? Heihachi's timing was a little too convenient. Am I right?"

"Yes," Jinpachi said with a nod, "That's it exactly. Your father had given the maids a day off that day; it was a holiday for them. Of course, conveniently, it wasn't anything out of the ordinary since he had a tradition of doing such things once a month and your mother knew about it. She had cooked before on her own and nothing bad had happened…"

"It was all…a happy coincidence for my father. I wonder if he even planned on that happening."

"Probably not, but he was not so much upset about her death than about how the relations with her family would be strained. Even you knew that your father wasn't the least bit affected by her death without really knowing it."

"I didn't know anything," Kazuya said in retrospect, "I trusted him the entire time. I knew him to be my father so I respected him. I did exactly as he told me to the best of my ability. But all of that is past tense. Is that all you came to talk to me about?"

"Yes, that was all. Since it's still early, why don't we go grab some breakfast?"

"Grab some breakfast? Shouldn't you be at work already?"

"Remember, today I'm off."

"Right. It still hasn't fully sunken in."

"So do you have any place in particular in mind?"

"No, not really."

"I know I haven't taken you out a lot, but surely you've seen some commercials about food places and wondered how it would be like to eat there, right?"

"Not at all. It's not as if I watch a whole lot of TV."

"Well, it looks like I'll have to choose."

/

Kazuya sat in the front seat with Jinpachi since there was no one else in the car. It was the first time, Kazuya realized, that he had done as much. He could clearly see the windshield now and how other cars interacted with each other. Green light, yellow light, red light, green light, yellow light, red light. The traffic lights would change slowly and the cars would obey its commands. The green light meant go and the red light meant stop as far as Kazuya knew, but the yellow light was hard to understand. Some cars would slow down and some would speed up perhaps it depended on the situation. Whenever their car was about to turn, a ticking sound would go on. Glancing over to the gauges that were behind the steering wheel, he noticed a green arrow light blinking. Then the ticking noise would stop when they made the turn. The road was a strange place.

The car ride itself was largely silent with the exception of the radio that Jinpachi had turned on. They travelled quite a bit from the house before they stopped at place called Tabibitojaya. It was a very small, quaint café; a place that one might miss if they didn't know that it was there. Fortunately, it guaranteed that there wouldn't be a huge crowd of people waiting for their food. They sat down near the window and a waitress gave them a menu to order from. Kazuya wasn't sure what to order as he looked down the list of breakfast items. In the end, he wound up getting the same thing as Jinpachi who seemed to know the menu intimately. Whenever Kazuya asked about something on the menu, Jinpachi would describe it with great detail indicating that he must have frequented this café.

While they waited for their food, Kazuya scanned the entire place with moderate interest. There were five other tables and two of them were being occupied by couples. The couples talked in low voices, but the quietness of the room even despite the jazz music that played allowed their voices to carry a little.

"So, you come here often?" Kazuya questioned to the other.

"Only with my most trusted employees," Jinpachi responded. "It's good to spend time with your employees outside of work. It builds a stronger relationship."

"It keeps them from stabbing you in the back, huh," Kazuya said with a brief grin.

"I suppose that's one way to think of it, that is, if you prefer to look at everything in a negative light. You might think me naïve for saying this, but I believe everyone, in their own way is trustworthy and good. Those who seem like they aren't are either trying to protect themselves or just don't know any better."

"How can you even begin to believe any of that?" Kazuya said as he looked away to the streets through the window. "How can you predetermine a person's personality before you ever meet them?"

"Isn't it less to think about? If that person does turn out to be someone who means me harm, then I deal with them accordingly."

"By then, it'd be too late, wouldn't it?"

"Things tend to work themselves out in the end. Like the day I began my company. I had no idea if it would take off or if it was even worth my time. The only thing I could do was what I was able to and with time things really did work themselves out."

"So you just knew that your plans were going to go smoothly. I'd say you were more lucky than anything else."

"I hardly believe in luck, Kazuya. Even when the situation seems impossible, even when every logical reasoning points to utter failure, there's always that chance that with patience everything that you wanted will come to you."

"Well, if that works for you."

"It could work for you as well." Kazuya turned to him when he said this, "A career like the one I have can easily take out a lesser man, one who stresses out about every little thing that goes wrong. But a better man knows where to put his energy, improving the environment around him."

Just then, the waitress came back with their breakfast sandwiches and hot tea. Kazuya began on his food without further conversation. He still had a healthy appetite and breakfast today came at a time later than he was used to. The two of them spent another thirty minutes at the café before leaving.

"While we're out here, did you have someplace you wanted to go?" Jinpachi asked Kazuya.

"No, not really."

"Why don't I show you around the city for a bit? You haven't officially been introduced to the city, have you? One day, when you really start experiencing life, you'll at least want to know how to get around. Down this road here is the nearest grocery store and…"

Jinpachi went on in this way for a few hours with Kazuya peppering him with a few questions so it at least seemed like he was interested. Kazuya wasn't in the least, but he did understand the fact that such information would be useful later on. When Jinpachi came to the end of the tour, he took them to a park that was far off from their location. Kazuya wasn't entirely sure where he was being taken since Jinpachi decided that the whole thing would be a secret; a "you'll see when you get there" affair.

The park was huge, but largely empty so early in the afternoon and on the last day of the week. After parallel parking next to the sidewalk in front of the park, the two of them stepped out of the car. Kazuya looked up at the series of large golden arches. The first one read "Tensuki Ocean Park".

"Some more sightseeing?" Kazuya asked as they walked through the entrance.

"We can do that first. It is quite a beautiful park. When I was a little younger than you, my father took me here as well."

There was a lot of foliage and flora there. Winding paths led them deeper into a world that was vastly different from the urban setting. It certainly wasn't a place that Kazuya would trek through on his own. Instead of the sound of rushing cars, there was only nature. It reminded Kazuya of the time when he had lived solely on his own. While he had been concentrated on his training, he could not ignore the certain quietness that was characteristic of a wooded area. He rather enjoyed it. During those days, Devil's presence had been quite palpable, constantly whispering in his mind. The serenity of his surroundings was definitely something he cherished.

Kazuya wasn't sure how long they walked before they came to a beach at the other end of the park. It was breathtaking.

"Have you ever been to a beach before, Kazuya?"

"No. This would be my first time."

The question needed almost not to be asked as Jinpachi watched Kazuya take in the scenery. There was something there in his eyes that Jinpachi rarely saw: curiosity and wonderment.

"So, what do you say, Kazuya, would you honor me with a spar?"

"Right now?" Kazuya asked unable to hide the surprise from his voice.

"What's the matter?—cold feet?"

"No," said Kazuya as he finally turned to the other, "I would be honored."

"The best way to test your skills is to be caught unawares. In real life, you never know when you'll need to defend yourself. You must always be ready."

"For someone who 'believes' in other people, you take a lot of precautions."

"Well no one said an optimist also had to be an idiot. Now, Kazuya, get into your stance."

"Right."

Their stances were inevitably similar. The spar began immediately afterwards. If anyone were to look from a distance, they'd describe it as a fest of flying fists and kicks and random sparks of electricity. A trained eye would describe it as a majestic lightshow. Two skilled fighters launched attacks at one another and evaded hits with almost impossible precision and intense fervor. The evasions were the most interesting to watch. In order to evade the kind of attacks they were dealing to each other, one must have a robust ability of reading body language.

Kazuya was given a chance to exhaust his long list of moves that he had developed over the years including his most fierce ones. He didn't pull out the latter until he sensed that they were nearing the end of their spar. Kazuya could tell that Jinpachi was getting winded. It was a first. Jinpachi wound up getting the last hit as he gave Kazuya one final thrust to the ground.

Kazuya was laid out on the ground when it was all said and done. His chest heaved up and down quicker than normal as he took in small, short breaths. He might have lost, but he hardly felt gipped. He had given it his all and he was shown all the places he had to work on. It was a good lesson. He turned his head to the gently rolling waves of the ocean just as he heard the approaching feet of his grandfather.

"You've improved quite a bit, haven't you?" Jinpachi said as he stood over his grandson.

"I've been training here and there," Kazuya said as a large understatement.

"I can tell," Jinpachi replied with a smile. "Did you want to stay here a while longer?"

"The thought of walking all the way back to the car doesn't sound very appealing at the moment."

"Alright then," Jinpachi said as he sat down next to the other. "Your technique has grown, but you still have a long ways to go. I felt real passion behind those attacks of yours and that's always a good thing, but that coupled with inexperience will usually spell failure against someone with any sort of skill. And…Kazuya, are you listening to me?"

Jinpachi smiled to himself when he saw that the other had dozed off. He always seemed so peaceful when he was asleep. Jinpachi envied those who were able to do such things. All the stress of the day, everything that ever bothered them always became non-existent in an instant. Someone capable of that feat was well equipped to take on the task of leading an entire financial empire. Jinpachi found himself thinking along those lines more and more. Hopefully, as his philosophy went, things would work themselves out.


	20. The Final Decision on the Matter

AN: You might have read a chapter of the same name already. If you have, then you probably don't have to read this, but I took out some contradictory elements in this one so it's a little shortened.

Chapter 20: The Final Decision on the Matter (Three Years Later)

Kazuya thought of what Jun could be doing at this moment. More than likely, she had her nose in a book while scrupulously taking notes. That took a lot of willpower Kazuya knew, but it wasn't as if he didn't understand her passion. She wanted to be a veterinarian. Her love for animals had only grown and her dream career would be one where she was able to take care of animals for a living. Kazuya became only slightly uncomfortable when she expressed how much she wanted to pursue this. She was telling this to the same guy who had nonchalantly slaughtered the cat which she had been trying to care for. Did she remember all of that? Had she really completely forgiven him for that incident? He never brought it up and Jun seemed to be all smiles. He could understand passion. There was something that he was passionate about as well. It was that passion that had continuously spurned him on for all these years.

Kazuya yawned widely as he stretched his arms out. There was still that homework Mr. Fushi assigned to him almost every night. He had finished his first stage of homework which was to define all the key terms in his own words in the chapter they were on in History. For now, he had to begin on his research paper which was due in a couple of days. He became so involved with searching for some credible articles online that he hardly noticed when his cellphone began to vibrate and then ring—it happened to be the theme song to a show that Jun had been partially obsessed with a few years ago: Pokémon. He had only watched it because she had enjoyed it so much that she would drag him downstairs every Saturday morning so that she could see it on the unused large high-quality TV.

"Hello?" Kazuya answered the phone momentarily.

"Ah, Kazuya, so you do answer your phone from time to time."

"Whenever it's charged that is." Kazuya knew the voice on the other end to be that of Jinpachi.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking. You're nearly a senior in high school from what your tutor has told me on your progress and you still haven't figured out what kind of career you want to pursue when you become an adult or even if you want to go to college. How about I show you around the Tekken Zaibatsu Corporation and you see how you like it? Does that sound appealing to you?"

"I suppose."

"It's okay be to unsure about it—if you find you don't like it in the least, then I won't be offended."

"Alright, what time are you planning to do this?" Kazuya questioned. It was in his nature to get to the point as soon as possible.

"Whatever works for you."

"Then, in that case, anytime. I have absolutely nothing to do."

"Today then, afterhours. You won't have to meet a lot of people and it'll just be me and you…and a few janitors."

"Okay, that sounds fine."

"See you in a few hours."

When Kazuya heard the other end of the phone click, he did the same. With a sigh he continued on with his homework. Who exactly was Jinpachi trying to fool? Kazuya knew what he wanted of him and he had been hinting at it for years. Even when he knew full-well what Jinpachi wanted of him, he had no desire to acknowledge it. Despite this, Kazuya still recognized Jinpachi as a great fighter and over the years their bond had strengthened only through this very fact. Kazuya respected him to the point that he believed that the other could do no wrong. He was simply a nice guy starkly different from his father. Could this really be the same guy who had raised that monster known as Heihachi?

But Jinpachi was a parent first and foremost and he had gotten on Kazuya's nerves more times than he could count especially at the dinner table when they suddenly began talking about what he planned to do with his life. Kazuya knew better than to tell him of his true intentions and he had nothing to say that would satisfy Jinpachi. Kazuya had heard the speech of what a man was expected to do in society so many times, that he believed he knew it by heart. There was wisdom in his words, but Kazuya would sooner ignore them. He was no man—he was merely a servant to the whims of his evil counterpart. Kazuya knew what he was definitely going to do in the future if things continued as they were, but what he really wanted to do was find some way to be rid of Devil forever—that was his true desire. How could he disclose all of that to Jinpachi?

/

Jun never came over that day. By the time Jinpachi came to pick up Kazuya, he was mostly done with his research paper; it only needed to be looked over again and the in-text citation to be formatted correctly. Jinpachi seemed just a smidgeon more content than usual as he carried on a one-sided conversation with Kazuya all the way to the massive building that Jinpachi proclaimed to be the headquarters of his corporation. Jinpachi gave Kazuya the low-down on Tekken Zaibatsu's history, about how Jinpachi had built it from the ground up and how its success had slowly grown financially under his keen eyes. Though Kazuya didn't look it, he was a bit impressed with the whole concept of creating something that could affect the entire world. It was phenomenal. Was this really something that Jinpachi wanted to trust in his hands? It almost saddened him the more he thought about it. How was it that Jinpachi was so willing to hand over something that he loved like his own child to someone like him?

"See this room," Jinpachi said as he gestured towards a large set of mahogany doors with brass handles.

Kazuya only looked on in mild interest.

"This is the room where I reside. Now this Corporation is designed to be self-functioning. I've hired people who have specialties in specific areas and I've spread the power out evenly among these experts to the point that they are like the CEO to whatever part of the Corporation they are in charge of. However, there are still debates and problems that cannot resolve themselves even under these circumstances—these are the problems that I deal with on a regular basis. I try to make myself available to all who work for me, but sometimes I feel as if my employees on the lower levels are a bit intimidated by me."

As Jinpachi said all of this, he used his key to open the doors and walked in to show Kazuya a room that seemed quite welcoming. After Jinpachi flicked on the lights, Kazuya could see that the room was alive with a nice amount of plants and earthy decorations. It gave off an air of serenity. Jun would love this room, Kazuya thought to himself as his eyes passed over everything. There was a large, gleaming mahogany table near the back with a leather chair. Behind that was an expansive window that took up 80% of the wall and was centered. Because they were so high, Kazuya could see the stars and crescent moon quite clearly.

"So, what do you think? It's my home away from home."

"It's really nice," Kazuya said honestly.

"Why thanks. I spent a long time figuring out just what would work here without going too overboard with the 'I'm harmless, seriously I am' vibe."

Kazuya grinned at this, "I'm sure you got your message across."

"Well, that's enough of that. I have one more place to show you and then we can go home."

Kazuya followed Jinpachi out of the room. After Jinpachi flicked off the lights, closed the door, and locked it, the duo took the elevator down to the basement. When they got there, Jinpachi told him to wait there as he said that he had to go get the key (hidden on another floor as a safety precaution) that would open the last room that Jinpachi wanted to show him. Kazuya stood with half curiosity in front of a gigantic set of pristine metal doors. It wasn't until Jinpachi left that he began to feel a remarkably slicing headache. Perhaps that could account for the slight movement he caught from the side of his eye. If only it did. While Kazuya gingerly pressed the balls of hand to his forehead, he turned to the source of movement only to have something flash past his vision once again. He turned again and the same thing occurred. Determined to not be made a fool, he stood still for a moment and listened to any extra sounds. He heard a foot scrape on the tiles. Pulling his hand away from its previous position, Kazuya quickly turned to that point of movement. This time he saw a person, but the intruder smoothly moved out of his line of vision.

"Enough of this. I already know that there's someone else here—you can stop with your games. Show yourself."

"The Mishimas sure are slow," a rather strange metallic-sounding voice said from behind Kazuya.

Kazuya turned to where he heard what he determined to be a "him" only to see a flash of colors whip past him once again.

"Fine, I don't care what you look like, but you better get lost before you have to deal with me."

"You couldn't even land a punch even if you did decide that you would fight me. Besides, that isn't what I came here for."

"I wouldn't think so. But one has to question the intentions of some ninja thing—

"Oho, ninja, is that what you've come up with?"

"I hope I haven't _offended_ you, but under the circumstances, that's all I could think of. I'm still willing to let you go without any fuss, without my grandfather finding out about you."

"That old man? I slipped past him easily enough, he didn't so much as blink an eye towards me, but you're different I suppose."

"I'm giving you one more chance."

"Don't you even want to know why I came here?"

"Whatever the reason, it couldn't be a redeeming one. If you plan on stealing from my grandfather, then you've come at the precisely wrong time."

"Like I said, you couldn't land one punch on me." Kazuya heard the scrape of his feet once more when he tried to pinpoint his location, but missed him again. "Point proven. I didn't come here to steal from that old man, but from the hands of its future owner."

"That doesn't make your case any better."

"How so?"

"Because…" Kazuya stopped himself before he blurted out something that he didn't even believe himself, but then thought better of it. The goal here was to either convince this intruder that this wasn't worth his time or somehow rough handle him into leaving…the latter seeming a bit impossible. "Because I'll be its owner once my grandfather hands the title over to me."

"Is that what you really believe?"

Kazuya looked down, "Yes."

"But you seem so unsure. Perhaps there is someone else working in the shadows, someone who you haven't even considered as a contender to that title."

"You can't mean…?"

"Oh, yes, Heihachi Mishima."

"How do you know about him?"

"Anyone who pays attention to the business world in Japan knows about him, kid. You wouldn't happen to be his son, would you?"

"If I said 'no', would you believe me," Kazuya said with a grin.

"The Mishimas all have certain physical traits that are hard to miss. You can't fool me." The ninja paused before he continued. "It all makes sense now. Jinpachi wishes to give his title to his grandson who he has come to trust more than his own son. Perhaps my visit was a little too soon. If you really intend to take over this Corporation from Jinpachi, then maybe the world isn't in as much peril as I first assumed. How about I make you a deal that will make us both happy? You promise me that when the title is handed over to you that you will continue in your grandfather's footsteps and you will resist all of Heihachi's attempts at overtaking you. Promise me this and I'll leave peacefully."

"Is that all? Then fine, I promise you. Although, it's hard to make a promise to someone who I can't even put a face to or at least a name."

"I have many faces. It wouldn't do you much good to describe me from looks alone. Call me Yoshimitsu."

"No last name?"

"Planning on doing some research on me? Just Yoshimitsu. I'll take my leave now."

Before Kazuya even knew what was happening, the door leading to the stairs closed. Kazuya sprinted over to the door and peered up the stairs only to be met with a harsh gust of wind and another door closing two floors above him.

With an irritated sigh, Kazuya closed the door and reassumed his position in front of the vault. What was taking Jinpachi so long to get that key of his? Then it dawned on Kazuya that Jinpachi might already be compromised.

"Damn it," Kazuya spat under his breath as he took a total of four flights of stairs to get to the floor Jinpachi said he would be on.

It didn't take Kazuya long to discover the large man sprawled out on the floor. The entire scene was mindboggling. Jinpachi, a large, powerful man, could be brought down so easily and left in such a weak position?

"Grandfather, grandfather," Kazuya said as he tried to bring him out of his unconscious state by shaking him.

After a moment, Kazuya could hear a groan escape the other's mouth.

"Kazuya, someone—

"Don't worry about that. I took care of the intruder."

"You did?" Jinpachi asked looking back at the other with a confused look. It was a little much to process after just gaining consciousness again.

Kazuya nodded. "He was fast. That's why you didn't see him coming."

"Well, at least I know all your training isn't going to waste. I feel even better about what I was going to say to you before I was interrupted."

Kazuya watched as the other sat up on his own—he could tell that the other didn't want any help in that regards. The two of them were soon sitting on the floor in the middle of the large hallway.

"I wanted to ask you, what did you think about the tour?"

"I thought it was…" Kazuya thought of the promise that he had made to a certain Yoshimitsu, but more than that he thought of the warning that the ninja had given him—his father was still there scheming in the shadows planning to take away something that his grandfather held dear to him. Did he really have a choice in the matter? If things even had a hope of ending nicely, he'd have to… "I enjoyed it. After getting a firsthand look at just what it is you do, I believed that it was certainly a lifestyle I could get used to if only someone showed me the ropes."

"Kazuya, you don't know how much this means to me. I knew, I just knew you'd come around once you got a better understanding of things."

Kazuya could only manage to smile briefly if only for Jinpachi's sake.

"Now c'mon. Let's go before we start growing roots."

/

Jinpachi had given Kazuya some pills when he finally complained about his headache—a rather good excuse (that just so happened to be true) to find refuge in his bed away from Jinpachi's good mood. Jinpachi's good mood equated to a lot of talking about things that Kazuya could care less about. If one was to ask Kazuya to give them a detailed report about what Jinpachi had discussed with him, he wouldn't be able to do it. It had all become gibberish.

Not that Kazuya had better things to do or think about—at the moment, he just wanted some peace and quiet. Maybe just maybe the throbbing pain would subside. Seeing as there was no apparent cause for his discomfort besides "stress" as Jinpachi had claimed, Kazuya didn't see any hope of that happening anytime soon. When the Pokémon theme song came on, he knew that he still had a little while before he'd get his "peace and quiet". There was no way he would turn Jun down not even for this reason, she didn't call all that often anyways.

"Kazuya! I was afraid you already went to bed. I know how you like to go to bed early if I don't have any say over it."

"You caught me just in time. How was your day?" Kazuya asked learning early on that not only did this initiate dialogue, but it made her day if he asked about her on his own.

"Actually, it's been a great day even better now that I've found some time to call you up. I got a lot of my homework done today and I've studied so hard that my History test tomorrow should be a breeze. I just hope it doesn't go too in-depth about the dates. Also, my mom just got a new TV that's can actually play DVD's on it. How about you? How was your day?

"It was interesting. At least the part when Jinpachi showed me around his workplace."

"Oh, wow, that sounds really cool. I think I'm getting jealous. The Tekken Zaibatsu has left quite a mark on Japan, you know, and it's no stranger to charity work and helping animals."

"Yeah…" Kazuya said slowly, "I decided that I would follow in his footsteps."

"Really? That's a big move on your part. Kazuya as a businessman; that has a nice ring to it."

"You think?" Kazuya said with slight surprise.

"Of course. You really can do anything you put your mind to especially with the kind of financial backing that your grandfather has."

"But it's the same for you…the first part of that. I bet scholarships are just lining up to be accepted by you anyways."

Jun laughed at this, "Right. I'd like to see the day when scholarships actually started doing that. I have applied to a lot of them and I've gotten a few of them. Nothing major, though, so I have to keep on applying."

"Don't worry, Jun. If all else fails—

"No, I said I didn't want you or your grandfather's help in this."

"I know, but all the same. If you find yourself in a tight spot, well, you have my number."

"I don't want to keep you up like I did last night," Jun said with a brief chuckle, "And I have an early start tomorrow. Good night, Kazuya. I'm really glad to hear that you're doing well."

"Good night, Jun. Don't wear yourself out."

When Kazuya pressed the "End Call" button, he stretched out on the bed once again. It took him a moment, but with the pills he had already taken, he soon fell asleep.

/

AN: This chapter is a little shorter than when I first put it up mostly because the previous two chapters do a good job of explaining things and I didn't want to repeat myself.


	21. Did Someone Say Tournament?

Chapter 21: Did Someone Say Tournament?

Chaolan Lee reclined in his lawn chair as his eyes scanned over the preface of a book he had just gotten from the local bookstore. The sun beamed down as it climbed higher into the sky giving him perfect light. It also revealed a rather trashed looking pool area. Yesterday being Friday, Lee had invited basically the entire school to a pool party and there had been a large turn-out just as he had expected. The inside pool that he had also had another feature—a retractable roof which came in handy at this moment and also yesterday when it had begun to drizzle.

The sudden boost of popularity was courtesy of Jun. Years ago when she had promised to introduce him to her friends, he soon became a familiar with a number of people and then he was introduced to the friends of their friends and so on and so forth until he knew almost his entire grade level and part of others. Lee had thrown his first pool party when he decided that he had enough people to invite in the first place. After that first time, it was just history. Lee's cellphone was full of numbers, but only about three of those numbers were ones that would call him on a regular basis, none of them being Jun. Lee hadn't hung out with Jun in a long time, but that didn't stop him from thinking about her from time to time. He was gladder to hear that she was concentrating on her studies more than wasting her time with Kazuya.

Lee took a nice sip from his raspberry smoothie before flipping the page to the first chapter. As for his future, Heihachi had already picked out the college which he would be going to whether he wanted to or not. In his case, Lee didn't care what college it was. The fact that it would be an international university in the Unites States did not bother him in the least rather it had piqued his interest. He already knew Mandarin well enough though it was getting rusty due to disuse and Japanese to a good degree and now he'd have to learn some English at least enough so that he wouldn't be a complete oddity when he started attending the university and actually understand what the professors are going on about.

It wasn't long until the maintenance crew that took care of the pool area showed up to clean up the mess. Lee, however, was far too engrossed in his book to take full notice. He took another sip and flipped the page once again.

/

Jinpachi had brought up an interesting topic at the dinner table yesterday: driving. Part of becoming a man, as Jinpachi put it, was having a car and knowing how to use it. At this point, Kazuya couldn't fulfill the driving criteria. Kazuya knew that once Jinpachi came up with something important for him to do, he wouldn't stop talking about it until it actually got done. Kazuya didn't have the patience to sit through too many more dinners with this topic so he decided to get this over with as soon as possible.

Starting today, Kazuya asked Takahashi to get him the manual that went over all the rules one needed to know to pass a written driving test. Takahashi didn't take very long at all and for the rest of the day minus the part when he was training but not to the extremes, Kazuya studied the manual closely. He continued in this way for the next day and the next and even through another rather painful headache episode. This time he attributed it to utter irritation with having to read such a boring book. Kazuya obviously had more motivation than just Jinpachi's tendency to repeat himself over and over again.

Some days ago before Jinpachi had mentioned anything about driving, Kazuya had stumbled across something on the web—surfing the web had become a bit of pastime to him—while browsing around forums about fighting and combat. There was a tournament that took place every two years in the Nara prefecture; a place that was quite close to the old capital and in that case rather far from him. It was known as part of the Iron Fist series that had started well before he was born and it was quite well-known in fighting circles. Kazuya wasn't sure what to make of these "fighting circles", but he was not part of them. Since admission into this tournament seemed to be a bit under wraps, Kazuya could only imagine how he'd be able to compete. But even before he could consider the answer to that, would Jinpachi allow him to go? How would he get there if he didn't know the location or any type of transportation if he was forced to go behind Jinpachi's back?

Learning to drive was a blessing in the skies. He could skip around the entire "asking Jinpachi" thing and leap over to his next major obstacle. He had begun to participate in the forums where he had first read about the tournament and hoped that someone might help him out or lead him in the right direction. The fact that he was a complete newbie didn't help things. Kazuya had to stop himself from trashing his own desktop when he got the fifteenth comment on being a "newb" or "didn't you read the rules about outsiders". It took him exactly four hours to get a real response back and it came through his PM. After reading the rather long (and very shady) message, Kazuya concluded that he had to first prove that he was worthy or basically a good enough fighter in order to participate. He had to meet up with someone and their contact information was provided to facilitate this.

He needed a car ASAP since he had to eventually set up an appointment. That very day, Kazuya had Takahashi take him to the driving center. If only he had known about the long wait that ensued, he might have delayed the visit for tomorrow.

"You've done this before, haven't you?" Kazuya asked Takahashi.

"When I was around your age, my mother wanted me to take the written driving test as well. It was only natural since I went through driving school."

"Driving school?"

"It's pretty expensive, but your grandfather felt that it was unnecessary. Taking the written test and the practical test will get you the same results in less time. Don't worry, the written test shouldn't be too hard for you. The way you've been studying that book, that test will be easy. Of course, there's another part you actually have to worry about."

"And what's that?"

"The practical test. The written part is fine, but you won't be recognized as a legal driver until you pass that one. You'll have to do actual driving."

"That's fine. The best way to learn things is through experience."

"How about I let you get a feel for it before you go take the second part of the test later on? I never had to take the practical test, but I've always heard that it was difficult. The chances of you passing on your first try is pretty slim."

"So I could end up taking it multiple times?" Kazuya asked a little discouraged.

"Come, come, taking it more than once shouldn't be a problem. It's not as if you have somewhere to go and if you do, I can always take you—it's my job anyway."

"I just…don't think I have the patience to do it over and over again."

Kazuya looked up when he heard his name called.

"Well, there's your cue."

Takahashi had a thirty minute wait before Kazuya would finish the test. He wasn't surprised at all that Kazuya had passed it with 100%. Kazuya was just glad to make it out of the waiting room.

"So, was it easy?"

"Unbelievably so. At this rate, the practical test will be a walk in the park."

"Don't get too relaxed. Why don't I take you to a park with a lot of room to drive?"

"Sure, if you're so worried."

It turned out that Kazuya was a natural—if only he could keep to the speed limit. Reading the information book repeatedly and studying how other's drove gave him an edge. They drove around the park for about an hour before Takahashi deemed him ready for the practical test. Then again, who was ever "ready" for the practical test in Japan? There was nothing practical about it in the first place. Instead of testing how well you knew how to drive, it instead tested you on how well you could follow directions and navigate through a set course.

Takahashi knew of a place nearby that held practical tests. It would have been silly for Takahashi to ask Kazuya if he felt like doing such a stressful test so late in the day—Kazuya seemed uncannily anxious to finish the entire ordeal in one day. Takahashi was not about to tell him it was a bit impossible, but it was. He hadn't known anyone who could successfully complete the test in one day. Without any protests or further forewarnings, Takahashi drove Kazuya to the course.

/

A "bing" sound came from Kazuya's laptop and just as suddenly the owner was opening up the new e-mail. Finally, Kazuya had received the place and time for the secret meeting. It had been a week since Kazuya had taken the practical test or should one say test_s_. Not only had it been impossible for the first few times he had taken it, he could barely control his temper. At some point, he had taken the test so many times that he had simply memorized all the different ways the test could be driven and so instead of brute skill, he had used memorization. That had been key. Getting this e-mail was like a ray of sunshine on a rainy day. It would be tomorrow late in the night. He shut down his laptop and promptly went to bed. Better that he was attentive as he easily pummeled his opponent. He had no doubt in his mind that the whole qualifying affair would lack any difficulty at all. Hadn't he trained enough?

The night and most of the next day slipped by quickly in Kazuya's opinion. The only thing that woke him the next night was his alarm clock which he shut-off immediately so as not to disturb anyone. After throwing some clothes on, he slipped out of the mansion without any trouble and deftly got into the car that Jinpachi had designated for his use years ago. Somehow it still smelled new as if there had been someone assigned to keeping it up, Kazuya wouldn't be surprised. It wasn't long that he was speeding down the street and onto the freeway—it was the route that the built-in GPS device told him to take. Actually, he had never been on a freeway before, but the written test came to his aid. He had taken one of his CD's with him. It was primetime to blast Dir En Grey after he rolled down the windows and let the wind crash into his face. In a word, it was exhilarating. For some reason, he was excited, genuinely excited. While it was true that he had been on his own plenty of times before, something about driving on his own in a brand new car with music blaring over the perpetual gusts of wind through the windows took him to a level of excitement that he was not aware existed. He was almost sad when the trip came to an end and he entered the parking garage. As the e-mail specified, he drove all the way to the top to meet them. His parking was horrible, but that didn't matter as much when there were only five other cars there.

Kazuya decided that perhaps it wouldn't be in his good interest if he seemed too excited. He wanted to at least look up to the part of professional fighter. That sort of thing was not very difficult for him. He wore his usual expression which consisted of a frown and eyes that would tell any sane person that he was someone not to be trifled with.

"Aw, if it isn't Kazuya. He finally decided to show up. He certainly looks the part."

Kazuya hadn't worn anything too fancy—a wife-beater, jeans, and tennis shoes. The man who had spoken to him wore similar clothes; his hair was jet black as was the case with the rest of the men there.

"So, kid, are you ready for your match?"

"That's what I came here for," he said with a hint of sarcasm.

"You'll be fighting me. My name would be Daichi. Over here are the judges: Fumio, Hachiro, Isao, and Kaede. Keep in mind that it's them that you have to impress."

"All I have to do is win, right?"

The other laughed when he said that. "I see that you're not familiar with the fighting world. You'd know who I am and be glad that there are judges otherwise there'd hardly ever be any newcomers."

"This 'being new' thing, is really starting to get on my last set of nerves. I have no idea who you are or your friends over there and anyone who even begins to think that I do is an idiot. No, I'm not familiar with the fighting world nor is any other newcomer."

"Touché. It's a tradition really. We have to make sure that you newbies know your place and work at learning all that you can about the world you're getting into. Now, prepare yourself, newcomer."

That was all the invitation Kazuya needed before he slid into his fighting stance. It was perhaps one of the quickest fights that Kazuya would experience in his lifetime. This one happened to be five seconds. Daichi threw his first punch, but it was evaded with ease and then immediately after, Kazuya rammed his knee into the other's throat and then slammed the other to the ground. Not only had he broken his nose and scraped his face on the cement, Kazuya had left the other choking and grasping for breath. Needless to say, Kazuya got a unanimous passing score. In fact, when Kazuya had proceeded to approach the others, they kept their distance for good measure.

"What happens now?" Kazuya asked the others who seemed a bit speechless.

"Don't contact us, we'll contact you. Keep an eye on your e-mail. Fumio, Isao, get Daichi to the car," Kaede said. "Kazuya…you're certainly going to make a name for yourself at the next tournament with moves like those. I've never seen someone move so fluidly and especially at such a young age. I'll definitely be betting on you."

"The fact that you're so impressed worries me. Won't there be other people at the tournament better than the guy I just beat up?"

"Who knows? Daichi is the most well-known because he's been the winner for the past five years. There could be a new unknown person that could wound up being the challenge you're looking for. As it stands now, though, you'll be the winner," Hachiro answered.

"This is depressing, no offense, but I guess I could use the experience against different opponents."

"You'll go far. There are a lot of tournaments out there. After winning the same one twice, you'll gain access to the bigger ones held all around the country. There are so many newcomers these days that you're bound to meet at least one match that you'll lose miserably at. It happens to the best of us…just look at Daichi," Hachiro reassured him.

"I guess I'll stick around."

"You better, kid. It's people like you who will bring the fighting world to the next level. You can no longer get away with blind luck or copying a few moves from someone else—you'll need true skill. Remember, kid, check your e-mail on a regular basis," Kaede added.

"I will."

Fumio and Isao had already taken their fallen comrade to their car. He had already lost consciousness and they would be forced to drive him back home and leave his car behind for a little while. The four of them zoomed down the garage quickly leaving Kazuya to himself. When he sat down in the driver's seat with his feet still on the street, he sighed heavily. He was glad that the headache he was feeling now had not occurred sooner, it was a large, hard-to-ignore one. He wasn't going to risk driving in such a condition so he waited for it to subside. Silently, he laid his head on his open palms which happened to sit on his lap.

"Kazuya…"

"Devil, so it's you."

"This is perhaps the only way I could get your attention."

"I don't want to hear from you."

"That's too bad. Ignoring me like you've been doing will only bring you more harm than good."

"I don't care."

"Oh, you don't? I didn't know you were so eager to feel pain."

"I'd rather kill myself a thousand times over than be controlled by you."

"I'll just have to test your resolve than."

"Go away. You and your headache."

To Kazuya's surprise, everything was gone in a second as if it hadn't been there at all.

"Devil…?" Kazuya asked cautiously.

He was only satisfied after five entire minutes of silence. With this, he turned on the ignition and drove off. It was early in the morning when he got back home. He cut the ignition quickly as he slipped back into the mansion. All and all, it had been fun, but perhaps not as fun as it could be. He could only hope that Kaede and Hachiro had been right. If he continued to compete in these so called tournaments, then he was bound to meet someone who would put his skills to the test.

/

The next day was full of activity and Kazuya wasn't sure if he should like this fact or not. Jinpachi strolled into his room not five hours later to get Kazuya ready to go with him to work. Kazuya hadn't been sure when or where they had decided on doing this, but he didn't feel like arguing. This was for his future, his grandfather would repeat just so he could drive home the importance of this apprenticeship.

"I've already chosen the clothes you are to wear today and as for school, you have graduated from it."

"Really? Do you mean that I'm done with school forever?"

"If you prove to be any good at the role you're trying to take on in my company, then no, no more schooling is needed. Now, we don't have all day, Kazuya."

This was soon to be a routine that Kazuya would copy for the entire week and many weeks after—it certainly took up more hours than school ever did, but there was often no homework. Simply remembering everything Jinpachi would mention from day to day was enough. He came to know Jinpachi's associates enough to remember their names. They had all seemed quite welcoming which struck Kazuya as odd. Shouldn't they at least be a bit leery of an outsider with virtually no experience training to take over the most prestigious job in the company? Weren't there more qualified people among them? Instead, they seemed so devoted to Jinpachi that they supported any decision that he made for the company including his intentions to pass his title on to Kazuya. Kazuya was in no way familiar with the business environment, but he had expected a bit more trouble than this. Jinpachi's associates could never speak to him on a first name basis. They couldn't resist calling him Mr. Mishima or simply Mishima so as to distinguish him from his grandfather. Kazuya didn't know what to make of it aside from feeling a great deal more important than he had before. The kind of responsibility that was being laid on him was just beginning to dawn on him. Kazuya made sure to at least look interested at all Jinpachi had to teach him, but he drew his enthusiasm from a different source. The thought of what he would do on the weekend was enough excite him for an entire week.

Just as Kazuya was being introduced to the business world, so too was he being introduced to the fighting world of Japan. Tournaments were held every other weekend late in the night and Kazuya made sure to compete in all of them. There was nothing remotely difficult about the whole thing. In fact, he hardly ever broke a sweat, but he did like that he was being exposed to so many different fighting styles. Before he went to his first real tournament, he opted to change his name so as not to draw too much attention to himself. Much to Daichi and his friends' annoyance and then later acceptance, he was called "Yakuza" instead. Someone with the audacity to have such a name must be able to back it up which Kazuya was able to do with ease. Many times, Kazuya would down his opponent in two hits and if his opponent had any sort of skill, four hits. It did wonders for his previously nonexistent ego. He felt far more self-assured as if no one in the world could touch him. No one, of course, besides Jinpachi and his father.

Only two matches stuck out to Kazuya the entire time. This was likely because they had taken longer than expected and he had lost both times. All in the same tournament which had a large turnout crowd-wise, Kazuya found himself face to face with first Yoshimitsu and then Kunimitsu. They had effortlessly barred him from moving on to the next set of opponents. Two losses in a row meant that he would not be able to continue in that particular tournament.

Kazuya would have reoccurring dreams about it. The crowd was screaming at an insane pitch and the lights around the arena had been quite bright. He had stepped out into the open full of confidence. He had only been slightly put off by the names the announcer called out. Could this Yoshimitsu be the very same…? He didn't know what to make of his opponent. He wore a rather elaborate get up—something one might wear for Halloween. This couldn't be a ninja. When the match started, however, Kazuya's opinion changed instantly. His opponent was fast too fast. When he would throw a punch it would miss, but all the same, Kazuya found himself being tossed around easily. The attacks came from all sides. He saw a green swipe of the other's sword and tried to duck beneath up, but the sword would curve down just as quickly and knock him a good few yards. Kazuya would leap back to his feet and rush at the other and try to get in a kick before the other could pull up his defenses—it never worked. Yoshimitsu would block all incoming attacks and retaliate brutally. After being subject to three of Yoshimitsu's roundhouse kicks, Kazuya found that he could take no more and the match was declared over.

Kunimitsu had been different. She would spin and disappear and throw shurikens all in one breath. She was by far, more agile than Yoshimitsu, and her attacks wound up doing just as much damage as his. There was no point in trying to get a hit in even though Kazuya tried desperately to do so. Whenever he thought that he had timed his attack correctly, she would disappear and appear behind him and she would attack immediately after. His face grew very familiar with the ground. After a few minutes of this, he lost the strength to climb back to his feet and the match was declared over.

For the first time, he had gone home in defeat and he was sore for days. Luckily, he had not received any noticeable bruises in visible places. He could play it off in front of his grandfather and the rest of the world. It was a pain, though, that Kazuya was not at all unfamiliar with—it was a welcoming feeling. Despite being defeated twice, he felt quit accomplished. Having not trained in a long while due to time constraints, such a feeling meant that he was still training his body.

He never saw those two again. It seemed it was a once in a lifetime experience. He asked around for them, but no one seemed to know them past their names—they were legends. One wouldn't be expected to defeat them. They came and went on no particular basis. Still, Kazuya awaited the day that he could face them again and defeat them.

/

At some point, Kazuya was taken to meet one of Jinpachi's closest friends, Wang Jinrei. It seemed that Jinpachi was eager to integrate Kazuya seamlessly into his life and routine. After showing Kazuya his place of work, he thought it was time that Jinrei take a closer look at him. He set up a lunch date for them promptly and some days later, Jinpachi took Kazuya to a rather familiar coffee shop by the name of Tabibitojaya. Kazuya found himself in the company of two older men. If Kazuya actually took notice of such things, he might have felt out of place.

"So you're the grandson that Jinpachi just can't stop talking about. I hear that you're a chip off the ol' block."

"Really?" Kazuya asked in a near deadpan tone. Kazuya wasn't sure he understood what the other was talking about.

"Well, sure. You're a hard worker, aren't you?"

"So I've been told."

"Don't be so modest. You either are or not."

"Alright then, I am," Kazuya said presently. He couldn't very well say no.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, it's a good thing. It's becoming harder and harder these days to find kids your age passionate enough in their work to put some real effort into it."

Kazuya had a feeling that he was being measured up so it would be in his interest to put up a good show. He wondered if this was anything like kissing ass. If it was, then so be it. For the sake of his grandfather he found that he had motive enough to do so.

"Yes, I am very passionate about what my grandfather is training me to be. I'm grateful that he chose me in the first place, that he saw talent in me I had not recognized before."

"Good, good. You understand how privileged you are. There are few children in this world that are born into such wealth as you are. Unfortunately, such children fail to see just how advantaged they are compared with the rest of the world. But you're different, aren't you? In some ways, I believe your life has made you a more humble person. You've seen the lowest of the low and the highest of the high."

"That I have, sir."

Kazuya did not miss the silent communication between Jinrei and his grandfather when they looked at each other briefly. Kazuya wondered if they saw through his charades or thought he was being completely genuine. In any case, there was no use worrying about it now. Simply asking upfront would seem rude as well.

"I'm sorry, but may I be excused for a moment," Kazuya said to the two older men.

"Oh, yeah, no problem," Jinpachi said to the other.

Kazuya simply nodded to the other and headed to the restroom. He was almost certain that the two of them had something private to talk about to each other and that with him there they'd have to continue with the "silent communication" method. However, it wasn't the entire reason he had wanted to excuse himself. When he looked around the small restroom, he was glad to see that no one else was there. There'd be no one there to ponder at why he eventually slid down to the ground with his back to the far wall. It was perhaps the worst time to be struck down with a headache far worse than any of the other ones he had experienced. He, of course, knew by now the cause of it. He waited to hear Devil's sinister voice echoing through his mind once more. When he didn't hear it immediately, he called for it.

"What now?" Kazuya asked with little pretense. "You couldn't have waited until later—

"Until a more convenient time?" Devil finished, "Why would I do that? Have you forgotten who I am? It seems as if you've grown complacent with the predicament you've been in for the past thirteen years."

"What would make you think that? I'm simply…trying to carve out some semblance of a life, one which I could support myself and be in a better position to fulfill both of our goals alike."

"Ah, I see you've grown keener with your choice of words. However, it'll be a long time before you can trick me. I can see your true thoughts. Your allegiance is with your grandfather, isn't it? I'd sooner destroy him if I thought he was an obstacle to me."

"No, wait—you don't have to do something so drastic—

"Look how you come to his defense. Look how much your temperament changes when you're in his presence. If only you'd give me the same respect."

"You can do what you please with me, but only with me, no one else."

"I haven't been able to do anything with you. You constantly rebel against me. What would someone in my position be forced to do?"

Kazuya grimaced as he felt the pain worsen to a surprising degree.

"What? Nothing clever to say back?"

"Perhaps…perhaps I'm just the…wrong person," Kazuya managed to answer back.

"No, I did not choose the wrong person. You are it. The strength that you have shown me more than convinces me of that fact."

"If that is the case…why has it taken you…so long to…so long to…?"

"It may seem like a long time to you, but to me it's hardly been a second. Every time your mind passes over the thought of getting rid of me, I find it to be quite entertaining. You can be such an optimist. When will you get it through your head? You will succumb to me. Knowing this, how can you even bear to continue on with life as you do now? It's almost painful to watch. I almost pity you. The way you cling on to life—pathetic. Aren't you just making it harder on yourself?"

"I…I…can't just…!"

Kazuya was finding it harder and harder to form a complete sentence. He could hardly think past the intenseness of the throbbing in his head. Maybe if he just closed his eyes, then everything would disappear…Maybe, just maybe…

"Do you understand what you've put me through for all these years? Hanging around that Jun girl for such an excruciatingly long time. Every day, you had to go and see her or she had to go and see you. I was drowning for some reason, and there was nothing I could do about it. My strength had withered to a point that I could no longer reach your mind. It was undoubtedly the first time I was ever made to be dormant—trapped in a human's soul. There was nothing fun about it. Every day brought more and more pain. The light which I had taken from you began to grow stronger and stronger—I was suffocating. To someone like you, I'm sure you don't care about any of that. You'd be glad if I was dead, wouldn't you? After all I did for you. This pain that you feel now does not even compare to what you put me through. Do you have anything to say for yourself, you insolent human?"

There would be no response this time as the other had already fallen unconscious. Whatever fight Kazuya might have put up was now defunct. Finally, after so long, Devil found that he was unhindered as he looked at the world through the eyes of Kazuya. Slowly, he climbed to his feet. It was a delicious feeling to be able to move around so freely, but it was short lived. He hadn't expected Jinpachi to walk into the restroom. Unfortunately, it had taken too long for Devil to gain his grasp on the entire situation. His eyes still glowed in a very obviously sinister red color.

"Kazuya! Is that you? What? What has happened…?"

Devil did not even begin to advance upon the other. Jinpachi was already in his fighting stance.

"Ah, Jinpachi, you came at precisely the wrong time. I'll have to get rid of you."

The voice sounded unnatural and far too cold to be that of Kazuya. He knew instinctively that something was wrong, but he was at a loss at what to do about it. "I don't know who you are or what kind of demon you are, but release my grandson at this instance—

"You believe in such a things? My, aren't we a little superstitious."

Devil rushed forth towards Jinpachi so quickly that a normal human would be hard pressed to retaliate, but Jinpachi had a good eye for such things and at the right moment he struck his hand out and made full contact with the back of its head and Devil crashed violently into the ground. Jinpachi heard a shout, but that was all as the body grew quite limp.

"Kazuya…?" Jinpachi said cautiously as he bent down to check things out. "Kazuya…are you there?"

There was blood spilling freely from a gash that had formed upon contact with the hard-tiled floor. Blood had already begun to collect beneath the body.

"Kazuya…please, speak to me. I'm sorry…I think I…hit you a little too hard. Kazuya…"

"Grandfather, I hear you…"

"Kazuya!"

Jinpachi lifted the youth off the ground and into his lap, never mind the mess of blood that would soon be on his clothes.

"I'm sorry…to have caused you…so much trouble…"

"Be quiet now, this is no time for you to be talking so much. I'll take care of you, you don't have to worry. Whatever happened today, don't worry about it for now…just tell me later when you're stronger."

"Grandfather…I think I'll just…rest awhile."

/

AN: So I've been getting a few reviews concerning Japanese culture and such. Do they celebrate things like Halloween or Christmas or Thanksgiving? The short answer is yes, but they are often celebrated for different reasons. There is a such thing as trick-or-treating events and dressing up (more like cosplaying than anything else) on Halloween in Japan. Christmas is more commercial than anything else and instead of it being about family it is more about couples and romance. Sort of like Valentine's Day. I don't know a whole lot about Japanese culture and I've only gleaned this much from brief google searches and the fact that I like to watch a lot of J-Drama. Also, by the way, Tekken is a fictional game set in a fictional Japan where things like tournaments go on and a collection of fictional people compete to win an entirely made up financial empire. That being said, I'll try to be more culturally correct, but I'm no expert and it isn't the focus of this story.

Oh, yeah, and thanks a bunch for the reviews. They always help me to become a better writer—complaints and praises alike. I really appreciate it.


	22. Goodbye, Jun Goodbye, Life

Chapter 22: Goodbye, Jun; Goodbye, Life

He couldn't move. No matter how hard he tried, he could no longer move his limbs. It was bad enough that even with his eyes open he could barely make out his surroundings. He saw enough of it to discern that he was indeed in his room, but how had it gotten to this? Why did he feel like a truck had been carelessly dumped on him and that now he was struggling to peel himself off the ground? He was in a bed, wasn't he? All he could see was the ceiling, a very familiar ceiling that he would often stare at in his long periods of boredom. When he tried to move his eyes to a different part of the room, his neck would not respond. It was as if, he lacked any control of his own body…Then his mood began to darken when a possible reason for all of this came to mind…Could it really be?

"Devil…?"

Kazuya was surprised that he was able to move his mouth or that his voice even worked, but then perhaps it would have been a hindrance to Devil.

"I just want you to suffer for a while."

"What good would that do you? I know full well what your goals are and I haven't done anything really to go against that."

"Going to your tournaments is a nice touch and I see that you have continued your training with Jinpachi, but that isn't what I'm concerned with now."

"Then what?"

"Haven't you noticed? I'm forced to do so much just to get your attention. If you really knew what my intentions were, you'd understand why this is necessary."

"Our coexistence—

"See, that's the problem. I do not want to simply coexist. If that were the case, I could have taken any other person besides you."

"Then why didn't you? Why do you continue to bother with me? Why don't you ply your trade on a weaker man?"

"I don't want to. I want the best."

"I have news for you. I'm certainly not the best."

"You would say that freely?"

"If it would help my case."

"It doesn't. Humans often fail to see the potential within themselves. I've been around for a very long time; I can tell when someone is worth my time."

"If you weren't trying to take over my entire life, I'd say you were being encouraging."

"The fact that we can still speak to each other like this, sickens me. For as long as I have stayed with you, your consciousness should have perished years ago yet here we are. Perhaps I'm not being thorough enough. It's clear to me that you'll continue to exist unless I do something drastic until I convince you to just let go."

"You chose me for a reason. Do you honestly think that I would simply bow to your will so easily? Just hearing you say it…makes me despise you even more. I never wanted this. Obviously you're running out of ideas. Don't you think you're trying to hard? Is it really worth this much effort?"

"If you only knew. You can only see in the context of yourself. A human can never truly understand my reasoning. Trying to talk your way out of this will do you no good. I've had an eternity to think about things and this is how I want it go. Now, be still. No amount of struggling will free you from your bonds."

"You plan on starving me to death?"

"That would take too long, wouldn't it?"

/

Jinpachi paced back and forth in the hallway in front of Kazuya's room. After Kazuya had been bandaged up properly, it seemed that he would recover normally. Then this happened. Kazuya had been bedridden all day and he just couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. He couldn't even speak on his own, it was infuriating. Jinpachi had no choice but to call the doctor again. At this very moment, the doctor was in there and Jinpachi was waiting rather impatiently for the doctor's diagnosis—if there was one to give. Jinpachi looked up when the door to Kazuya's room opened.

"Well?"

"I'm not sure what to think. Whatever malady he's suffering from, it has no name as of yet. I'm afraid all I can do is treat the symptoms."

"What do you mean symptoms? It's just that he's not very responsive, right?"

"You're right, he's not responsive at all, but he still seems to be lucid. When I checked, he was running a high fever and I'm fairly certain that he's suffering from some kind of internal pain. I'll have to run more tests."

Jinpachi had to go see for himself. Sure enough, when he checked the other's forehead it was on fire.

"I wish you could just tell me what's wrong with you, kid."

Kazuya's eyes weren't even looking at the other. Probably tiring of the whole thing, he stared out to space making no attempt at conveying emotion. Whatever was going to happen to him he had no control over. Kazuya only wanted to know for how long this would last. He had already resolved that he would outlast any attempt Devil made at controlling him. It wasn't going to happen—it was as simple as that, but Devil was persistent, very persistent.

It was like being locked in prison with no windows. He could no longer tell what time or day it was. Often, he would hear voices of those he knew as he came in and out of consciousness. Some days he could hear nothing at all as he was left to his own thoughts. Somewhere in his mind, Devil was laughing as if this was all a practical joke. Kazuya failed to see the humor in any of it. He was afraid even to drift off. Everything around him was so uncertain that if he really fell asleep he'd lose whatever sense he had regained. Eventually, Kazuya no longer had a choice in the matter after three days passed and the doctor intervened with his treatment. Devil was sure to plague whatever rest he should have gotten with nightmares. Too tired to even wake up from them, Kazuya simply went through all of them as if it were any other kind of dream.

"Kazuya, are you still there?" came the voice of his grandfather, "I know that you'll pull through this. It's only just a matter of time—I'm sure of it. It's been quite some time now, though. A week, if you wanted to know. I haven't said anything to anybody about what really happened back there in the coffee shop. I feel it is something that must be addressed in private. I have a feeling that this is something you've had to deal with for a long time. It's time that you let others help you. You don't have to go through everything alone. I'm here for you, remember that."

For some reason, Kazuya heard his grandfather's voice as clear as day. When he tried to turn his face towards the sound of it, he found that he was able to do so.

_Perhaps…perhaps…_

He opened his eyes slowly and they were met with a blurry image of a man that he had grown to feel even more than respect towards.

"Grandfather…" Kazuya tried to say, but it came out in more of a croaking sound.

"Kazuya, you're awake!"

"Grandfather…" Kazuya tried again. This time his voice sounded a little clearer.

"Yes, I'm here."

"I hear you, Grandfather," Kazuya said at barely a whisper.

"Tell me, Kazuya, how can I help you? What's wrong?" He became worried when Kazuya didn't answer for a long time. "Kazuya, it's alright, whatever you have to say, I'll listen. I can only help you, if you let me."

"…Have you…have you ever heard of a being known as Devil?"

"Like, a demon?"

"I guess."

"What about this demon?"

"When I was younger…when I lived with my father…I was thrown off a precipice and made to climb all the way back up…so that I could prove that I was a true Mishima…I should have died that day…but Devil had the power to revive me…but not without a price…I had given my soul…just so I could live. This hatred…I felt this strong hatred…towards my father. And since then…I've been consumed by it…all I've ever wanted to do…the only thing I cared about was killing _him_. I've always known…that Devil would soon…gain full control of my actions…Grandfather, you want to help me?...Then tell me…what should I do now…?"

Jinpachi was speechless to say the least. What exactly could he do about anything? He had only now heard of this and who's to say that all of it was the truth? Perhaps Kazuya wasn't thinking clearly. Perhaps his mind had made up something completely fictional to cope with some unresolved problems he had with his father. It was easy to sweep everything under the rug using such reasoning. But there was one thing that stopped him completely—the incident in the coffee shop. Nothing could explain that away. Could it be possible that it was all true?

"Kazuya, I'm sorry—I had no idea. I thought you were finally getting better, moving on from what you had to go through with your father, but now I see that it was much more than that. Tell me, what was it that kept you going for so long? Perhaps I could create a similar situation."

"You've…done everything you can…"

Kazuya was caught off guard when he felt himself being lifted by the strong arms of Jinpachi. He soon found himself in a tight embrace.

"What are you…?"

"One way to combat evil is with love."

"But…this is _stupid_…"

"Oh? And you have a better idea?"

Kazuya paused before he responded. "Fine." It wasn't often that Kazuya found himself in such a situation, but due to desperation, he decided to go along with it. He still thought it was stupid. When he finally convinced himself to proceed, he could barely get his arms around the large man. In many ways, Jinpachi reminded the other of a very over-sized teddy bear—warm and gentle in his own way. Kazuya wasn't sure how long they remained that way. When he found himself beginning to blush, he decided to be the first person to back off. Unaware of how much strength that he had or didn't have, Kazuya, without Jinpachi's support fell back clumsily onto the bed. Embarrassed, he tried to sit up on his own. To add insult to injury, Jinpachi helped him in his endeavor.

"See? Don't you feel better already?"

"I guess," Kazuya answered slowly, looking anywhere but towards Jinpachi.

"All this time, you haven't had any trouble with this demon of yours. Perhaps, whenever you're around other people who you love—it has no power over you."

"I don't even know why I said anything to you. You must think I'm crazy…"

"No," Jinpachi said as he placed a reassuring hand on Kazuya's shoulder, "I don't think you're crazy. How many times do I have to tell you? You don't have to keep things to yourself anymore."

"I saw this going so differently in my mind. That's why…there's never a point in telling people such things, but…"

"You don't have to worry any longer. I'll always be there. I'll protect you. And I will soon control every part of your life."

"What?" Kazuya said quickly as he looked up.

The room had suddenly grown pitch black and only crimson eyes glared back at him. Kazuya covered his ears to block out the insidious laughter that soon echoed about the room incessantly.

/

"Grandfather!"

"No, it's me, Jun."

Kazuya found that he was opening his eyes once again, but this time he was gazing upon the lovely face of Jun.

"You must have been having a bad dream. Fevers can do that to you. Here, let me change your rag. Oh, wow, it's pretty warm."

"How long…how long have you been here?"

"A few hours. The doctor didn't want you to be disturbed since you had finally gotten to some semblance of sleep so I just waited here quietly. Well, do you feel well rested?"

"No…"

"I wouldn't think so. You were tossing and turning almost the whole time. I guess it'd be silly of me to ask how you were doing. I hope you get better soon."

"How long…has it been?"

"I wasn't allowed to visit for the first few weeks and since that time I've been coming to see you—it's been a month and a half, Kazuya."

"A month…!"

"Don't get so worked up. This is really the most lucid I've seen you. Save your strength."

"That long?"

It was then that Kazuya began to hear the beeping noises of machines that kept continuous tabs on his vitals and IV's that came from his arm up to small liquid-filled bags on a hanger.

"I think you're getting better," Jun said with a smile, "I'm really glad."

Kazuya heard her voice waver a little and he noticed as she blinked a little more than what was natural, then as she placed a tentative finger under her nose for a split second as she sniffed once. He could only imagine how she had been affected by all this. Sitting at home for so long, trying to continue with her pressing work and at the same time worrying about him the whole time. Or maybe he was just seeing things. Maybe her voice hadn't wavered…maybe this wasn't even the real Jun he was talking to.

"Kazuya, are you alright—you have that strange look in your eyes again."

"Jun, you're really her, right?"

"Yes, it's me."

Her eyes seemed so full of concern that he almost regretted even asking the question. "I'm sorry…I just had to make sure."

"I can't do this…I don't think it's a good idea for me to leave for college right now. Not with you like this."

"For college? You were accepted into one? You can pay for it?"

"Yes, yes, and yes."

"That's good news."

"I wanted to tell you sooner…"

"I'm sorry…"

"You shouldn't be apologizing."

"Don't let me be an excuse for holding yourself back, Jun. You have to go to that college. It's your dream, isn't it?"

"But, Kazuya—

"No. You said it yourself, I'm getting better. I am."

"The doctors don't even know what's wrong with you. How can you know really?"

"Because I know better than any doctor about how I feel."

Jun smiled back at the other, "I guess I'll just have to take your word for it."

Jun stayed for as long as she could until Kazuya had fallen asleep once again. She kissed him on the forehead and then left. If she was really going to go off to college, she would have tonight and tomorrow to pack. Up until that moment, she hadn't had the will to even take out her empty luggage from the attic. Mom would be ecstatic. She knew her mom had not been too fond of Jun giving up on her dream so easily over a boy after working so hard just to give herself a chance to become a veterinarian.

/

Chaolan Lee found that he was once again left alone in the large mansion. It came as no surprise to him. Heihachi hardly existed in his life. Besides improving his existing fighting skills, Heihachi had not bothered to interact with him to any extensive degree. Presently, he was putting the last touches on his packing. He tried to take only the necessities. The less the better, he supposed. It meant that he would have less to carry. When he was finished, he rolled his luggage out onto the front porch and sat tiredly on the lawn chair. He still had about an hour to spare before the taxi would arrive and take him to the airport. Maybe he could say goodbye to some of his friends. He wound up texting everyone that he had come to know, even Jun. A few of them wished him luck others were too busy or simply didn't care to text anything back and still others failed to reach the recipient because their phone was turned off. He wouldn't miss this place at all. There was maybe one person he'd miss, but it didn't really matter. She had made it clear to him a long while ago that the feelings he felt for her was not the same that she felt for him. It was depressing enough to want to forget altogether. With a sigh, his eyes travelled to the wooded floor and his dress shoes.

"Hey, Lee. I got your text."

He had been so entranced in his own thoughts that he had not heard the footsteps of another person. He looked up already knowing who it was. He could pinpoint that voice in his sleep.

"Jun? Oh, hi. Didn't expect to see _you_ here."

"Why not? This _is_ the last we'll see of each for a long time. I couldn't miss the chance to say goodbye in person."

"Everyone else did."

"Well, I'm not everyone else. Since when did you become such a downer?

"A downer? Well, I guess. I'm sorry it isn't to your liking."

"You know, you really don't have anything to be upset about. You have a lot to be thankful for."

"I know, you don't have to tell me twice."

"So you're waiting for the cab, I'm guessing?"

"You guessed right."

"I'll wait with you," Jun said as she sat in the chair beside him.

Lee glanced over at her curiously.

"Is it so strange that I'm here? You act as if we're strangers."

"You've been busy with your studies."

"So I have."

"I guess I thought you had better things to do."

"Lee, you do know that you're the most popular kid in school, right? You're all I ever hear about. There's no way you weren't busy as well."

"In a way."

"It's too bad Kazuya couldn't be here too."

"He wouldn't waste his time like that. I sent him a text and he didn't reply."

"I wouldn't think so. He's fallen ill, you know. He hasn't been able to move from his bed for more than a month now."

"Really?" Lee asked with genuine surprise.

"You know, that almost sounds like concern in your voice. I've been visiting him and I think he's getting better so you don't have to worry so much."

"I wasn't worried."

"Right. If he could have, then I'm sure he would have come out to say goodbye in person."

Lee snorted at this.

"Or else I would have dragged him out here. Going out to college especially where you're going is a scary thing—it's the least we could have done. I'll be going too tomorrow."

"So you are leaving."

"The same as you."

"I wish I could be there when you leave. I know it'll be hard for you—you being away from Kazuya."

Jun looked away when he said this.

"I remember that time when you guys got into some kind of argument and you weren't able to see him anymore for a few days—you were a wreck," Lee said with a grin, "I wanted to make you feel better, but I guess I wasn't able to do that."

"It won't be like that."

"Oh, is that so?"

"I promise you. I was just a silly little girl back then. I know better now. I've moved on from that."

"If I may be so bold to ask, what did you see in him? I mean, what am I saying? I guess I shouldn't pry…"

"I don't really know."

Lee looked over at Jun as she said this; she had a faraway look on her face.

"I don't understand it myself. It was like I was drawn to him. I guess I saw that there was something wrong and I wanted to fix it. That's just who I am. I want everyone to be happy. When I first met him, it was like…meeting a stray cat. I wanted to take him home and teach him everything I knew. I wanted him to smile. I wanted him to become strong and healthy. Like I said, I was a silly little girl."

"I wouldn't say 'silly'."

Jun looked at the other with a little surprise.

"Just a little naïve," he said standing up, "I think Kazuya has a great deal to be thankful for as well. His father loves him even though he has a twisted way of showing it, his grandfather went through hell and high-water just to find him again—he never gave up on Kazuya being alive, and then he has you—a gentle, sweet girl who wanted nothing more than to see him succeed in life."

"Is that jealousy I hear?"

"Not at all. Jun, let's try and visit each other on the holidays when we have to come back home."

"It would be my pleasure. I know you won't have anyone to go home to anyways."

"You've given me something to look forward to."

"Now you won't have to leave here in a sour mood," Jun smiled knowingly.

It was then that the before mentioned cab drove up the driveway.

"There's my ride."

"Wait, before you go…"

Jun approached the other and wrapped her arms around him. Then he reciprocated immediately. After a moment, they parted. Lee soon took up his luggage and made his way to the cab. Jun watched as he climbed in. He gave a wave out the window just as the cab began to move and she waved goodbye back.

_Looks like you're finally off on your own adventure…I'll have to say goodbye too…goodbye to the life that I knew before and walk boldly towards the future._

She didn't know what to make of Lee. When she had hugged him and gotten quite close to him, she had gotten a good whiff of a scent that reminded her more of perfume than cologne. From the way he had looked at her though…she knew where his "interests" lied.

/

She had questioned Lee about being such a downer before he left, but she could understand now what he must have been feeling. Her mom was there and she would drive her to the airport, but still there was something saddening about leaving everything she once knew. She'd already said her goodbye to Kazuya. What could be holding her back now? She sat in the living in anticipation. She had woken up too early and made herself some breakfast, but now she had to wait for Mom to roll out of bed. Instead of turning on the television, she sat silently in the dark. It was better that way, she supposed. At least she could ponder on what her life had been up until that point.

She was startled out of her thoughts when she heard someone pounding on the door. A confused expression came to her face. Who could it be at such an early hour? Maybe it was…no, it couldn't be. She trudged over to the door and opened it.

"K-Kazuya? What are you doing here? What are you doing out of bed?"

She opened the glass door quickly so that she could let him in. If this was a dream, then she didn't want it to end.

"Did I scare you?" Kazuya finally said when he thought that she was calm enough.

Jun looked at the other carefully. He still seemed rather pale and it looked as if he had lost a few pounds, but his eyes were quite vibrant—there was determination there.

"You didn't have to come all the way out here. I told you to save your strength. What if…?"

Kazuya placed both hands on her shoulders, "And what if I died tomorrow from a gunshot wound? Anything could happen, Jun. I just wanted to see you off, okay."

"You can walk—

"What of it? I told you I was getting better."

Jun gave him an accusatory look, "Does anyone know you're here?"

"I had to sneak out. You know Grandfather would never agree to any of this. Can I have a seat over there?"

"Oh, yes, yes, of course," Jun said giving him the seat that she had been sitting in before she had answered the door.

She walked over and sat on her knees next to him.

"Kazuya," she said quietly, "I'm glad you're here."

"I am too. I just wanted to tell you something. I want you to be successful in everything that you put your mind to. I know you're bound to run into some roadblocks along the way. When you do, I know you'll be prepared to weather the storm. Someone like you, someone like Jun will find everything that she's looking for. Don't waste your time worrying about other people so much. It's alright to think about yourself sometimes. You deserve it."

"Kazuya…"

"I wish I could go with you."

He had captured her eyes at that moment and she found herself moving closer and closer to him…

"But I can't," Kazuya said breaking her trance by looking away, "This is a journey that you must make on your own."

Jun found herself looking to the ground.

"That's what I came to say."

She looked up when she saw the other climbing to his feet. "You're leaving?"

"Well, I didn't plan on staying so long. I'm surprised I even made it this far."

"See, I told you, you were pushing it."

"I'll be fine for the time being."

"Can you make it back?"

"Don't worry."

"Get some rest."

"I will."

Kazuya pushed the glass door open and stepped back into the crispy morning air. He stood still for a moment longer and then climbed down the stairs. Jun watched as he made his way slowly across the street. She had never seen him so weak before. The old Kazuya would not have allowed her to see him in such condition, but the Kazuya which she had beheld at that moment was much more passionate and less concerned about such petty things. She smiled to herself.

_Get better, you hear me, Kazuya. Continue to make your way in life and one day, I'll come back for you._

/

AN: I was on a typing frenzy. This chapter just seemed to flow.


	23. The Out Chapter 1

AN: I decided that I would do a Christmas themed chapter even though it'd be impossible to do one at this moment in the plot. So, I decided to just call it an "out" chapter. It does not flow logically with the last chapter and is basically a short story within itself. Hope you like. (Also, I've been itching to use a slightly older Kazuya…)

The Out Chapter 1 (Known as Chapter 23)

It would be yet another Christmas spent alone. Kazuya wasn't the least bit surprised about this. After Jinpachi's demise, he knew that he'd have to get used to being on his own all over again. Without even realizing it, he had actually grown accustomed to the presence of others. He was used to the comfort of knowing that there was someone else living with him even if that person was two floors below him, even if that person couldn't possibly hear if he was in trouble. No one was going to come over this holiday season—Kazuya would have no reason to concern himself with Christmas at all. He could shrug it off as any other day and continue on with his regular routine of training and more training.

He didn't want to admit it, but he did feel a profound sense of loneliness. Now, as he walked out into the streets to the nearest grocery store, he could see the joy in people's eyes. Not the cheesy kind that he'd find in movies, but the genuine one. There was reason to be glad to have family to shower gifts with or a significant other to spoil. More than anything, there was love in the air. Everywhere he looked, couples held hands each person entranced with the other. It was no different as Kazuya finally stepped into the grocery store. He thought he might be able to ignore it, but all it did was make the pain of loneliness far more intense. It wasn't as if earlier he was in a good mood, but now his mood really began to sour. He had a list of items he wanted to get, but he didn't know how much longer he could take being around so much…happiness. He simply grabbed a six-pack of energy drinks and quickly made his way to the cashier. It was beginning to feel more like a game than anything else. He tried to dodge any couple that he saw so that he wouldn't overhear their conversation or see their smiling faces. Needless to say, he wound up traversing the entire store before finding a "safe" route to the front. Really, it was pitiful.

"Kazuya—wait, Kazuya, is that you?"

Kazuya stopped in midstride with a look of obvious surprise on his face. He regained his composure when he turned to the person he knew the voice had come from.

"Kazuya! It _is_ you," Jun said excitedly.

Kazuya might have said something back if she hadn't rushed forward pulled him into a tight embrace. What could he do, but hug her back?

"Kazuya, I've been looking all over for you. When they said Jinpachi was…I didn't know where to look," Jun said as she still grasped him.

She felt herself being pushed back gently and she finally got the message as she released him.

"Jun, what are you doing here?"

"What? Is that all I get after all the trouble I went through?"

"You still haven't answered my question."

"Look, I'm out on winter break so I thought I might fly back home to see my mom. Does that satisfy you?"

"I see. Well, if you came to see your family, don't let me stop you. I have to be getting back as well," Kazuya said turning.

"Wait, Kazuya…I came to see you too. I thought you'd be…" Jun didn't want to mention Jinpachi's name in front of him for a second time. She had no idea what had happened to end up with his Grandfather dying, but she knew intuitively that it couldn't be anything good. Knowing Kazuya, he probably hadn't taken it well at all.

"You thought I'd be doing something with my grandfather like I do every year, right? That's impossible now."

"Kazuya, I'm sorry…"

"What are you apologizing for?" Kazuya asked shaking his head, "Same old Jun, wearing her heart on her sleeves," he said as he turned again.

Jun was silent for awhile as she watched the other continuing down the aisle, but of course she couldn't let him go so easily after all the time she spent trying to find him. She followed after him. "So, do you have something planned tonight?"

"Nothing in particular."

"Well then that settles it. We have to do something together."

"Right now?" Kazuya asked finally stopping to look at her once again, "I'm sure you had some plans of your own."

"Those can wait."

Kazuya looked at her for a moment longer perhaps trying to decide if this was a good idea or not.

"Well, what? I'm not cute enough or something?"

"Now what would make you say something like that? Jun, wouldn't happen to be insecure about herself, would she?"

Jun crossed her arms in irritation just as she caught the beginnings of a smirk on the other's face. Well, it was better than his usual frown, Jun thought to herself. "It's not as if I have a lot of guys begging to go out with me and I've been in college for a while."

"What does that even mean?"

"Oh, yeah, I forget who I'm talking to sometimes. You still live in that small world of yours."

"If that's what you want to call it."

"I guess I better stop beating around the bush. Think, Kazuya, isn't there something you want to do today besides going back to whatever place you live and wallowing in loneliness? And can't you do that thing now because _I'm _here."

"How is this not 'beating around the bush'? I still don't…"

"Kazuya—what is a guy and a girl _supposed_ to do on Christmas?"

/

This was far better than what Kazuya originally had planned. Kazuya found himself watching scary movies with Jun in his apartment. He wasn't sure how it had gotten to this point. They had spent the better part of the day reminiscing on the past—the good and the bad. They had walked to the near park and travelled the length of it twice doing just that. Kazuya found out more things about Jun than he ever had and Jun vice versa. At some point, they had gotten to the Halloween that Kazuya was first convinced to go trick-or-treating on. Jun had promised him that she would show him all the scary movies that she knew about and Kazuya had agreed to it. However, it had never happened. Now here they were watching them together on a Christmas night.

It was perfect. Kazuya, of course, was not scared in the least of the movies and Jun found herself using Kazuya as some kind of shield and gripping his arm in support. He was stoic as usual. It was hard to tell if he was even entertained by the whole thing. Jun had seen these movies before. She found herself paying more attention to him than the film. She would look at the screen and then secretly steal a glance at him. He seemed only mildly amused at the especially violent scenes, but that was all. They managed to get through four movies. He dozed off around the third movie and in that time Jun made herself quite a bit more comfortable near him. By the last movie, he noticed her change in position and almost as if he was familiar with such situations, he wrapped his arms around her. Since they were sitting on the floor against his sofa instead of on top of it, it was easy for Jun to find a nice warm place where she would be in perfect position to lay against the other's chest. He was very warm despite having nothing on but a t-shirt and jeans. If there was ever a doubt in her mind that he was playing it off and he was in fact frightened of all the blood and gore, there was none now as she felt his steady heartbeat—a far cry from what her heart was doing at the moment.

All she could say is that she felt extremely safe. Even the scary parts didn't seem so scary when she felt his closeness. There was no way that anything could hurt her, not when her Kazuya could defeat any and every kind of danger. She wondered if _this_ had been the reason she had come back for the holidays. Mom missed her, sure, but wasn't there something else that drew her? She had spent days searching for him and she was glad that she did. A moment like this was priceless. She turned to face him when the credits started to roll. Already she had been close, but now as she turned, their faces were only inches from each other.

"So? Spill, did you like it?"

"You're asking me if I enjoy watching people die. Now, what would you do if I said yes?"

"If you said yes, then it wouldn't come as a surprise to me, but then I'd know what to buy you for say…your birthday or something."

"I'd hardly want to watch it on my own though."

"Oh? You need someone brave like me to back you up?"

"Not at all. It's just far more entertaining watching you squeal and jump through the whole thing."

Had he been watching her this whole time? She hadn't even been sure if he had noticed her in the least. She couldn't recall his eyes ever being on her, but…In an instant, she felt her cheeks burn—it was a rarity in the presence of Kazuya. It wasn't as if he was actively seeking to get that kind of reaction out of her. In fact, many days she wondered if Kazuya was even capable of liking another in such a way. Was he able to look at her in the way that she wanted? She'd spent so much of her life with him and aside from a few times, he was never so much as speechless in front of her. Maybe they'd always be just friends. Not that it was an altogether bad thing, but she wanted something more than that…something closer.

"You enjoy watching me suffer."

"You're certainly not the kind of person to find any of it entertaining. Wasn't Halloween your favorite holiday?"

"It's not 'cus I like being scared half to death," Jun said matter of factly, "It's the dressing up part. Your remember, right?"

"Always wanting us to be themed for some reason. I wonder if anyone else found that strange."

"You know, rumors did start."

"What rumors?"

"What do you think? If we're always doing things together…"

"I guess after college you gain the ability to talk in code."

Jun sighed heavily. He was hopeless. There was no way to even _get_ to that topic. "I'm not talking in code, you know."

"Well, the Jun I knew always just got straight to the point."

"You can't always be so blunt. Some things require a little finesse."

"Like what?"

"You're gonna' make me _say_ it? Actually, I've just noticed the time, it's getting pretty late."

"What are you five? It's only nine."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were asking me to stay longer."

"Do what you want. If you really have to go, then go."

"See _that's_ what your problem is, Kazuya. I don't _know_ what you want," she said as she stood up, "I'm always guessing. It's always some type of game I have to play with you just to figure things out. Well, I'm tired of it. I'm tired of you acting like you want me around or me assuming that you do and then you turning around and saying something so callous like "if you want to go, then go" or "fine, do what you want". Just for once help me out here. Do you want me to stay or leave?"

Still, his eyes were unreadable as she looked at him in irritation. She didn't know how she expected him to respond. It could go either way. Maybe she had spoken too harshly. Maybe she had pushed him away too much. Maybe she had miscalculated how tough is skin was when talking about something so personal. Maybe this was just his way and she needed to get used to it. Maybe this was the end of it. Right now he could burst into a fit and say something regretful like "I never want to see your face again." That would hurt the most. She gulped once involuntarily as he stood up and approached her. He was too silent. Was he that angry? Could he not even put words to it? For some reason, she backed up once. What was she doing here anyways in another man's apartment at an arguably late hour? Why hadn't she opted to take him to see his mom and let this be a kind of family reunion?

They had gone out on a date.

She found that she was now looking up into his eyes. Still they were quite unreadable. She didn't know what to make of it, but somehow she knew what was supposed to happen next. All on her own, it seemed, she was moving in for a kiss. What logical sense did that make? Why did she assume that that was what he wanted when he hadn't said anything at all? Yet he was so close to her now. Before she could even have the chance to rethink her actions or to become embarrassed, she felt his lips on hers. For a moment there, she stopped breathing. Was this some kind of miracle? Had she been reading the signs wrong? Was he actually more perceptive than she first thought? Had he been able to read her thoughts?

It wasn't a quick kiss. It was long and powerful—she didn't want it to end, but her head was reeling. She hadn't been sure what a kiss was supposed to be like, but if this was it then she was sorry that she had waited so long. She was almost upset when he released her only to hear him say quietly in her ear:

"I want you to stay."

She felt her knees buckle beneath her. She couldn't believe it—why now? Why did she have to faint now? She was angry at herself for being so weak. Being swept off her feet wasn't something she was accustomed to. He caught her before she fell completely down and he carried her in his arms until he got to the couch and laid her down in it. It was a couple of hours later before she finally woke up again.

"Kazuya…?" When she turned her head and opened her eyes, she saw that he was right there. "Kazuya, I'm sorr— "

"Why do you always apologize for something that isn't your fault?" Kazuya asked before she could finish. "Jun," he began again softly perhaps even tenderly. It was a tone that sent chills down her back, but in a good way, "If you wanted a kiss, then why didn't you just ask? Women are so complicated."

/

AN: Just to break the monotony, I may just do a few random chapters here or there. Sometimes I get writer's block, but still want to write something—here's the finished product. Hope you like. Again, thanks again for all the reviews. It really is the best gift a reader could give to the writer. Happy holidays or Happy fill-in-the-blank.


	24. The Bastard Known as Heihachi

Chapter 24: The Bastard Known as Heihachi

He felt unbelievably tired when he finally got back inside. The fact that it took so much energy just to walk across the street was infuriating. It was almost as if all the trouble he had put into training was for naught. He waited for his breathing to calm down again. For a moment, he sat there in complete silence. But it was too silent; he couldn't even hear the movement of feet from the various maids around the mansion. Furthermore, wasn't it morning time? Kazuya glanced over at his digital clock: 7:30AM. He'd at least smell the scent of food. If it wasn't for him, for the other maids who worked there. With a sigh, he stood up and went out to the hallway and then to the banister so that he could get a clearer view of the central room all the way on the first floor. The lights were on at least, but there were no voices. Wasn't there something wrong with this picture? Perhaps he had already fallen asleep again. Maybe this was just a dream again.

"Ah, Kazuya, it seems that you're strong enough to walk."

Kazuya turned to the familiar voice and revealed a man dressed in a uniform that suggested that he was a doctor. "Do I know you?"

"Probably not. You've been virtually unreachable for quite a long time. It's a miracle that you're even regaining your strength, but it's certainly good news. Your Grandfather will be pleased."

"He's at work now."

"It's the first time in a while. He took a leave of absence so that he could keep a closer eye on you, but I finally convinced him that his worrying won't change your condition in the least."

"What was your name?"

"Dr. Umi."

"Dr. Umi, don't you think it's strange? There's no maids here."

"I gave them a few days off."

"Why?"

"They were unneeded."

"And who gave you the authority—

"Your grandfather naturally."

"You convinced Grandfather to go back to work and now you've dismissed the housemaids for a few days. What are you trying to pull?"

"I guess I shouldn't be too surprised of your distrust. You've been through a lot. I know that you'd rather see a familiar face than some stranger, but you'll just have to trust me. Everything I do is in your best interest. Now why don't you lie down for a while longer—I'll make you a nutritious breakfast."

"I'd rather not."

"Well, suit yourself. I'm not here to force things on you," Dr. Umi said as he turned in the direction of the stairs. "Try not to tire yourself. I'd say you're already pushing it after going out to the neighbor's house."

Kazuya was a little surprised that the other knew as much. It was unnerving. He decided that he would take another set of stairs down instead of the very same one Umi was using. He made embarrassingly slow progress, but he was glad that no one was there to watch. He wondered how he had even gotten up the nerve to see Jun. Before he had realized that maybe he didn't want Jun to see him in such a humiliating condition, he had already made it across the street and turning around would have given him little comfort.

"Nice of you to finally come down," Kazuya heard Umi say from a distance as soon as he made touch down on the first floor.

Kazuya gave the other an annoyed look, "Weren't you making breakfast?"

"Remember, Kazuya, I have to keep an eye on you. I wouldn't send away the housemaids and tell Mr. Mishima not to worry if I wasn't fully capable of taking care of things."

Dr. Umi smiled pleasantly at Kazuya and then bowed once before turning and making his way to the kitchen.

"Wiredo," Kazuya seethed under his breath.

In reality, he didn't feel like traversing the sprawling building of three floors and dozens of rooms. He had already gone "adventuring" around the mansion when he was younger and then again when Jun had insisted on a tour of the place. Even now, he still didn't understand the layout of the mansion, but he knew enough to get to the most essential places like the kitchen, the dining room, the gym, the closest restroom, his room, and Jinpachi's room. Kazuya eventually made his way to the dining room. A place that was very familiar to him. He sat in the seat that he always chose which was straight across from Jinpachi. He wished he was there at that moment just so he could validate that soon some type of normalcy would return to his life. He also wanted to discuss something with him. It was time that he really did tell him about Devil. The fact that he had made the other worry so much did not sit well with him. Surely he deserved an explanation. He wondered how he'd approach the subject. Was there some easy way to explain things? There was still that chance that the other would think the other completely crazy. Kazuya hoped it wouldn't come to that.

If only Jun was here…Now all he had was Jinpachi. Secretly, he wished that he had just a little more friends than just those two, but what sane person would want to be around him for more than ten minutes? It wasn't as if he was a pleasant individual or increasingly friendly. He certainly didn't have good conversation. He might as well get used it. There was Jinpachi, but he was always busy and soon he would be too, wouldn't he?

Kazuya could hear Dr. Umi cooking away in the kitchen. He wondered if doctors were supposed to be able to do as much, but then Dr. Umi didn't seem like any normal doctor. After a few more minutes of listening to the sizzling of eggs on the stove, he began to doze off. He wasn't sure how much time had passed before the smell of food became stronger. Dr. Umi had walked in quietly and set a hot, steamy bowl of okayu on the table and a tea cup of shogayu. The smell of the hot ginger drink was enough to bring Kazuya to wakefulness.

"I'm sure your bed would have been much more comfortable."

"I don't care," Kazuya said steadily.

The other still smiled at him pleasantly and then took a seat directly across from Kazuya. Kazuya could immediately feel the constant gaze of Dr. Umi on him as he examined the food.

"Well, what do you think?" the doctor asked politely.

"I think it's disgusting."

"It's all to make you healthy again so that you can get back to your regular routine. I heard that you're an apprentice to your grandfather."

Kazuya took one bite of the rice porridge and grimaced. What happened to the taste? And better yet, why was there was no meat? "I bet you hear a lot, don't you?"

"I've had plenty of time to talk with your grandfather. He's a very open, friendly person."

"Hmph, could be his downfall."

"Why would you say that? His employees adore him and he enjoys going to work since it's like a second home to him."

"Telling some creep doctor his life story doesn't seem like the sanest thing to do."

"He knows that your life is in my hands."

"What?" Kazuya said looking up at the man.

"I mean...surely you know that you would have died without my help."

"Right. I doubt that." _Devil would never let that happen—it has too much at stake._ Then he took a sip of the acrid drink.

Dr. Umi smiled again. "For instance, I could have poisoned the food that you're eating right now."

The chopsticks in his hand became still for only a moment, but then he shrugged, "I wouldn't be surprised."

Dr. Umi had expected a more startled response, but he seemed to have far more thicker skin than he had assumed.

"Are you really just going to sit there watching me?" Kazuya asked as he finished over half of the rice-nothingness.

"Well, I have to make sure you don't decide to throw anything away."

"You're wasting your time."

"I have nothing better to do."

_That's rather unsettling…_ "Why is there no meat?"

"Now, now, Kazuya, this certainly isn't the time for such solid food. Better to start light and go from there."

But he was still deathly hungry even after that, but Kazuya didn't even begin to say as much to the doctor. Maybe if he could just get into the kitchen without getting noticed…Wait a minute, why did he even have to sneak? He was going to make himself something else whether that doctor liked it or not.

"I think it'd be a good idea to get some rest after this," Dr. Umi said standing. "I might not have put poison in your food, but I could have put something else in it besides. Oh and I wouldn't try to sneak into the kitchen, there'd be no point." He smiled thereafter, bowed, and left the dining room.

"Pft, what kind of doctor is that anyway," Kazuya grumbled to himself. "When Grandfather gets back here…"

He found that though he wanted to venture into the kitchen, he no longer felt like it. In fact, he felt so tired that he hardly felt like going anywhere at all. By the time Dr. Umi came back in to check on him, Kazuya was sound asleep on the dining room table. He took up the dishes he had brought out and promptly returned them to the kitchen.

"Well, that didn't take very long at all. It's been awhile since I've had to resort to such crude methods, but just like your grandfather said—you are pretty stubborn."

He couldn't check his vitals at this point since the other was asleep, but he'd wait until the other was just waking and less resistant to him. Patiently, Dr. Umi sat down in a seat closer to him and waited for the moment to pounce. That moment took a few hours to get to, but it came. Then he wished it hadn't come. Perhaps surprising him half to death wasn't the most appropriate method as he ended up with a bloody nose and on the floor.

"What was that for…?" Dr. Umi cried out in a shock that he could not disguise from his voice.

"Thought you were someone else," Kazuya said with a grin.

That was all the doctor got for an answer as the other stalked off to the kitchen. Dr. Umi was glad that he had asked permission to lock all the cabinets and the refrigerator down beforehand. At least he could take his time getting back up and cleaning himself up before presenting himself to Kazuya once again. By the time he got back to the kitchen, Kazuya had just finished checking the state of each and every cabinet. He did not look very pleased.

"If you'd take a seat somewhere, I'd like to check your vitals."

"No," Kazuya said simply with a frown as he walked by him.

"How do you expect to get better if you don't let me help you? What do you think doctors are supposed to do?"

But the other was still walking off.

"What do you want me to tell your grandfather? That you're not responding well to treatment? Do you really want to worry him anymore than he already has?"

Kazuya stopped when he heard the last question.

"Your father called for my help for a reason. He trusted in me to make sure that you made a full recovery. Kazuya, I—

"Let's get this over with already," Kazuya said approaching the other once again.

He held his arm out in a way that Dr. Umi believed that he was going to be punched in the guts, but it didn't happen.

"Well?" Kazuya asked to a startled doctor.

"Oh, right, of course."

The entire procedure didn't take long and Dr. Umi informed the other that his vitals were "promising" and that he still needed to rest.

"I'm fully aware of your routine of working out for a very long time, but there'll be no more of that for a while. I would hate for there to be a relapse."

In the end, Kazuya didn't care what the doctor had to say. No mortal man could even begin to understand what was wrong with him, but for his grandfather's sake, he decided to give the doctor some peace of mind. He didn't need to be told twice that he shouldn't be doing anything extraneous—he didn't feel like doing that sort of thing, but anything was better than going back to that cursed bed. But what else could he do? The fact that Jun was gone became more and more depressing to think about. He could call her sure, but he didn't want to be a bother to her. He didn't want to seem desperate…which he was.

The day seemed to go on and on despite being in a daze the entire time. It was just weird dreams and Dr. Umi over and over and over again. He dreaded the flavorless "snacks" that Dr. Umi seemed so fond of giving him at thirty minute intervals or the pills that he insisted on Kazuya taking which he never actually took. Kazuya found himself staring at his digital clock for an eternity until that time came for dinner. It was then that Dr. Umi walked into his room and flicked on the lights.

"Grandfather should be here any minute," Kazuya said to the approaching doctor, "What are you going to tell him?"

"That you've been an enjoyable patient. The bloody nose business will remain our little secret. Your grandfather seems like a good person."

"Tell me when he gets here."

"Oh, I will. I'm sure you two have a lot to talk about," the doctor said with a smile that bothered Kazuya.

Then Kazuya looked over at his arm suddenly when he felt the sharp pang of a shot piercing his skin. Dr. Umi quickly emptied the syringe. Why hadn't he noticed that his hands had been hiding suspiciously behind his back? Why hadn't he been quicker at blocking his hand?

"What did you do?" Kazuya demanded.

"I was only helping you along…to your death that is."

Kazuya lunged at the other without a second thought, but found himself crashing to the ground as the doctor quickly sidestepped and avoided the whole thing.

"You really are a stubborn little thing. Even in death you still want to fight. You might have saved yourself the trouble and died slowly and painlessly had you taken your pills, but I have a schedule to keep and now your time is up."

"You…bastard! Wait right there, I'll give you more than just a bloody nose."

But his vision was already blurring as he crawled after the other relentlessly. His legs would no longer respond, but his arms still remained functional—even that was threatening to give out on him. Just then, Kazuya felt a foot ram directly in his face and the force behind the kick sent him tumbling backwards into the dresser that held his digital clock. The dresser shook violently upon impact and drew the clock closer to the edge.

"You won't get away with this! My grandfather…"

Another kick was sent squarely at Kazuya' chest and finally the clock tipped over and made a nice sharp impact on his temple.

"Your grandfather will what?" the former doctor asked with a laugh. "I've been itching to tell you this all day, but your grandfather is not coming back here ever again. Heihachi has seen to that."

Kazuya didn't even try to climb back to his feet, it was impossible at this point. He was utterly trapped and was rapidly losing consciousness, but the mention of Heihachi's name brought him back to the land of the living. "Hei…hachi," Kazuya breathed.

"That's right. He'll be taking over your grandfather's corporation shortly. In the meantime, be a good little boy and die. Wouldn't want to worry your father now would you? Either the poison will take you or the blood loss. Well, I'll leave you to your own devices."

"Wait…"

"You still alive?"

"What…what is your name? Your real name."

"Well, I'll give you some amount of satisfaction as you die—Uramesh Taisuke."

"I'll _kill_ you," Kazuya growled.

For a moment, Taisuke almost believed him as he saw an alarmingly savage look in his eyes, but then he smiled in his usual pleasant way. "Just you try."

Not a second later, the false doctor had disappeared from Kazuya's line of vision. His sight began to darken the more he tried to resist until he was sure that he must have fallen unconscious.

"Looks like you need my help once again," Devil's voice echoed through his head.

"This was your fault. Don't try to pin this on me. For someone who says they've lived for so long you lack foresight. You were so obsessed with getting your revenge that you neglected to look at all the consequences…Now look what has happened—

"I will not take this from a mere human. I know _exactly_ what I'm doing."

"You've made a grave mistake."

"Just as I planned, Jinpachi is now out of the way. Now you can focus once again."

"Ha! You think you had any control over his fate? My father does as he pleases and you just happen to benefit from it. He'll have his day…and so will you."

"Insolent fool! _I _control you! _I_ am the reason you are alive now. I _own_ your soul!"

"You're too weak to even admit your mistake."

Devil hissed angrily at the other, but it was cut short as Kazuya felt a strong hand grip his neck roughly and toss him back onto the bed.

"That Taisuke…he couldn't even finish the job."

It took a great deal of willpower to open his eyes again, but he had enough motivation to do so—he had heard the voice of his father. A voice that would often haunt his dreams.

"So, you're still alive."

A shadowy figure of his father towered over him menacingly with arms akimbo.

"Old man…"

He could almost sense the other looking over him critically. "I see you've kept up your training. Planning to kill me one day, kid?" he said with a grin. "That look in your eyes…Being thrown off that cliff was the best thing that could have happened to you. Now you're a true Mishima. Of course a little thing like poison wouldn't kill a man who could survive that kind of fall. I think I'll let you live."

Kazuya felt as the other grabbed the nape of his shirt.

"Next time, you take care to keep up your health. No son of mine should be seen in such pathetic condition."

This time Heihachi simply unhanded the other and Kazuya fell ungracefully to the ground in a miserable pile.

"I'll be taking my father's place. You ever want it for yourself, you'll have to fight me for it."

"…Bastard…You'll get what's…coming for you," Kazuya managed through gritted teeth.

Heihachi laughed at this as he turned to look at his son for a while longer. He stepped over to him and tried kick him once again, but this time Kazuya grabbed the other's foot in a feeble attempt at retaliation. Kazuya's grip was easily knocked away. It was all rather entertaining to Heihachi.

"Look at you, you still want to fight, don't you?"

Kazuya cried out when he felt his chest cave in as Heihachi stomped with surprising force on him. The electricity that shot through his body was enough to take away whatever fight he had left in him.

"There, I think that's enough for now."

It wasn't until Heihachi left the complex that Kazuya even began to move on his own, but he was only crawling and mindlessly at that. A thick trail of blood followed in his wake and especially after he made a tumble down stairs all the way down to the first floor where he lost consciousness again. He stayed there for a few days as blood began to gather and dry beneath him. Then he started once again. The only thing that went through his mind was the image of his father towering above him in triumph. If only he could get his hands around that man's neck, then he could strangle him to his heart's content.

"Old man…" Kazuya groaned out loud. "I swear I'll kill you…"

/

AN: Will Kazuya _ever_ get his revenge? Stay tuned for the next episode of…(Oh, wait, this isn't really a show, is it? And really, if you're reading this—who _doesn't_ know what's going to happen?) Anyways, thanks for all the encouragement in your reviews. AngelInTheDark19 () asked about a possible Xiaoyu/Jin story: …Ummm, maybe? I'm not even sure if Jin actually likes Xiaoyu. That relationship always seemed one-sided to me. The recent CG movie helps a lot though.


	25. Recovery

Chapter 25: Recovery

The white pristine ceiling burned his eyes as he gazed upon it for the first time. He heard the now familiar beeping noises of all the machines he happened to be hooked up to. It was brain numbing. He dared not even to move as he saw at least three IV's in total coming out of his body. Not to mention the tubes coming out of his nose and the dull throbbing pain of his chest. He felt like he was falling apart. Going to the gym was the furthest from his mind. A nurse silently came in to check his vitals. She smiled at him in a disturbingly phony fashion when she noticed his eyes on her and went on her way. He couldn't speak for the oxygen mask on his face. He couldn't move the mask out the way for the soreness of his arms. He got the fact that he was in the hospital, but how in the world had he gotten there?

He could hear voices just outside his door since it was left wide open. One of the perks of being a nearly comatose patient in a hospital was that people thought you were hard of hearing and couldn't possibly eavesdrop on a conversation nearby.

"Is he awake yet?" a man's voice asked.

"His eyes are open, but pushing him to talk might be too much for him at this time. He still needs to recover more," a woman probably a doctor answered back.

"When do you think he'll be ready for questioning?"

"You cops have no soul. This man barely even survived his ordeal and you're already trying to disrupt what peace he can find. He is a victim, you just remember that."

"Miss, we understand that he's in the middle of recovery, but time is of the essence. Heihachi Mishima has been on our radar for years now and this may be the last straw. This kid could be our ace in the hole."

"And if he doesn't know anything?"

"He should. He'll tell us who did this to him and we'll finally have Heihachi."

"Listen, boys, just wait a few more days. I won't feel right about you two hammering him with questions until then. Now please, I don't want to see you until Friday."

Suddenly a machine near him began beeping at a much faster speed than before and the doctor who had been talking to the cops rushed in to see what was the matter.

"Well now, what's got you so excited?"

Kazuya felt her cool hands on the sides of his face and calming eyes looking straight into his anxious ones.

"There's no need to get worked up. Was it a bad dream?"

"Miss, I think he's trying to say something."

The doctor glared at the two cops, "And what if he is, now isn't the time." Then she turned back to Kazuya, "Shhh, now, shhh. You're safe now. No one's going to hurt you in here."

Kazuya only became even more irritated. The cops were right; he _did_ want to say something. No amount of coaxing from the doctor could change this fact. She eventually pulled the oxygen mask away from his face when she realized that there was no other way to sooth him.

"Hei…hachi…" Kazuya managed.

One of the cops moved in a little closer, "Was he your attacker, son?"

"Y..es…Hei…hachi."

"Thank you, son, you've done a brave thing. Now you just focus on getting better."

But Kazuya found that he could no longer breathe on his own as he tried to use his weakened lungs. He was glad when the doctor seeing the signs quickly placed the mask back on his face.

"Are you happy now?" the doctor said in a voice that sounded none too pleased, "Do you want to be responsible for his death?"

"Um…no, miss…"

"Then get out of here already. You've caused enough trouble."

Kazuya began to feel drowsy before long as his eyelids began to flutter.

"It's alright to fall asleep. No one's going to hurt you here. You were admitted here over a week ago and you've been here ever since. You've had quite a few close calls, but now you're stabilizing…"

Her voice began to sound echoic as she continued to explain his condition and how much time she thought it might take for him to recover. She stopped when she saw that he was fast asleep. She went over to the blinds and closed them and then walked out of the room after flicking off the lights.

"Sweet dreams, Kazuya Mishima."

/

Kazuya couldn't believe the flowers that had collected in his room. Jun was still in college, right? She was the only person that came to his mind when he thought of those who were responsible for it. He asked the nurse about it when she came in and only told him that he must have a lot of secret admirers. Kazuya doubted this completely. When he was strong enough, he checked out the name tags and found them to be only vaguely familiar. Then it hit him when he returned to the hospital cot—it had been the name of Jinpachi's closest employees. Had they really come over without him even realizing it?

"Out of bed again?" a nurse questioned him as she walked in to see him sitting on the side of his bed.

"Well, I don't plan on staying here forever."

"That's the spirit, sir. Here are some pills for the pain."

The pills turned out to be two large horse pills in the small paper cup. Kazuya silently wondered if he was getting addicted to those things. Pain wasn't an altogether bad thing to feel, but it could be annoying and surprisingly excruciating when left unchecked. What had Heihachi done to his chest? He was afraid even to press too firmly on it else it cracked under the pressure. And what of the headaches? There was no telling when those would come back with a vengeance for no apparent reason.

"Some help you are," Kazuya said under his breath to Devil, "It's like you can only heal sparingly."

Once again, no word from the peanut gallery. Kazuya didn't even want to think what that meant for him.

/

In slow motion, Kazuya saw the bottom of Heihachi's mammoth foot coming down to wreak havoc upon him, but this time it wasn't his chest he had to concern himself with. In just a few moments, his face would be smashed into the ground beyond recognized. But then an even more horrifying thought came to his mind—something far worse than the physical trauma he would have to go through if it had really occurred like that…Would Jun even want to go out with a dented-faced Kazuya? Or worse, what if he no longer had one? _Damn you, old man!_ Was nothing safe? Would he take away Jun's love as well? But then why was he so confident that he even had her love in the first place? There was no time to even think about that now as he felt his nose disintegrating under the pressure. He hadn't been able to move before and now he seemed cemented to the floor. Of course, that was when the dream ended—really it was a close call. At least his face was still intact…A demolished nose, he could deal with.

The doctor who was overseeing him was a little caught off guard when she felt him flinch beneath her touch. It was obvious that he had been having a bad dream.

"Are you alright, Kazuya? You've been muttering things about your father for quite some time. Is he such a terrible man?"

He could feel the other's hand running through his hair in a very motherly way. "If you only knew him…"

"I've seen those kinds of eyes before. Revenge doesn't always have to be the answer."

"On the contrary, revenge is the _only_ solution."

The doctor sighed, "In any case, it seems you may miss your chance. Your father, Heihachi Mishima, may be sent to jail before you know it."

"Hmph, no he won't. That scheming bastard wouldn't go through all the trouble of killing my grandfather and deciding to keep me alive, if he thought he was going to jail."

"Such a pessimist. I don't see why he shouldn't get in trouble…"

"I'm glad to see that there's more than one naïve person in the world. But then being on the outside looking in, you can afford to be, right?"

The doctor's eyebrows furrowed at this, "You think you know everything about the world yet you've hardly even had a chance to see it—you're just a kid. If I seem naïve, then maybe you're too much of a naysayer. Someone in your shoes…You have enough to worry about already. For example, what exactly do you plan to do after you leave the hospital? You can't go back home."

Kazuya hadn't even thought about that. He hadn't even begun to plan out his next course of action. Here he was fuming about his father and he didn't even know where he'd be lodging in the meantime. He could very easily become some homeless bum certainly unfit to take on his tyrannical father. What job could he obtain? His résumé was pathetic at this point. He hadn't realized that he had been depending on Jinpachi to such a degree. He hadn't been independent at all; in fact his entire life was riding on Jinpachi's charity. How had he let it get so far? He understood now, Jinpachi's "man" speeches. At least he could drive and the car he had driven before had been in his name.

"There, now you have something better to think about," the doctor said when he didn't have anything to say back for a while, "Hate is a grievous thing to dwell on for any period time. It can only beget destruction both to you and the people associated. Leave your father to the justice system."

The doctor hoped that his silence was a good thing. Since he wouldn't respond to her any longer, she decided to depart and leave him to his own thoughts whatever they might be.

Kazuya looked over at all the bouquets that had been left on the windowsill. Those guys at work might have felt sorry for him, but there was nothing they could do about Heihachi's hostile takeover. Kazuya would not want to work in the same place as his father. There was no way he would go back to that place and ask for some type of job. Wasn't there something else he could do? What skills did he have? To find an honest job was going to be impossible at this rate. Really, he had never worked a day in his life and the thought of it didn't sound altogether appealing. What exactly was there left for him?

_No matter what, I'll be the one to kill you, old man. Even if it seems impossible now._

Kazuya looked towards the door when he heard the knob being turned. He half expected it to be the doctor again, but the clinking of armor told him immediately that it was someone else altogether. He waited for the person to come further in so that he could see, but it never occurred.

"I know someone's here. Show your face already."

Kazuya was about to take off his oxygen mask so that he could simply walk over until the intruder stopped him. "Don't bother getting out of bed. You need your rest, don't you?"

"That voice…Yoshimitsu."

"Glad you managed to remember me. Perhaps you also remember the promise you made to me."

"I remember it."

"Were you just saying things to get rid of me that day? If that is the case, then it wasn't a very smart thing to do."

"I wasn't lying. Not really. Shortly after you made your exit, I accepted my grandfather's intention of passing his title on to me."

"Then, are you saying that all that has transpired was out of your hands?"

"How was I supposed to know when that old man would move in for the kill? Even now, I have no idea how he pulled it off. He could have gotten rid of me as well, but I was spared for some reason."

"I see. I heard what Heihachi has done to you—you are extremely lucky to be alive. There are few people who can survive so many broken ribs."

"I won't be able to fulfill that promise."  
>"Don't be so hasty. There may yet still be a chance. All that you need to do for now is live."<p>

"Easier said than done."  
>"I know that you are in a precarious situation, but it seems that Jinpachi has good foresight. He must have known that his life was in danger. He set aside a large sum of money that only you could gain access to just in case you were left to fend for yourself. He died before he could tell you as much."<p>

_If I hadn't been so weak…_ "That's good news."

"I'll leave the name of the bank and the account number on your table later. Even though, you have this money to fall back on, I suggest you find some other means of financial stability. Now, I must go."

"Wait a minute, how exactly am I going to confront my grandfather's murderer? Do I just stroll in through the front door?"  
>"Whatever you do, don't do that. I told you, concentrate on living for now. Sometimes patience is the best next course of action. A perfect opportunity is bound to arise."<p>

Kazuya heard another clink of armor and then the door closing softly. Yoshimitsu had made his exit. Help could come from the most unexpected of places.

Jinpachi was gone. Jun had her own problems to deal with now. He was left to fend for himself. Just thinking about it sounded tiring, but he was not about to back down from the challenge. Recovery would come first. Then gathering up the shattered pieces of his life and starting anew—it wasn't an altogether new process for him yet this time felt different.

He stayed in the hospital for about two months before the doctor thought it was safe to release him. Kazuya left all the flowers in his room, took the sheet of paper that would lead him to the money, and headed off at once towards that location. He didn't have access to his car at the moment so he had a lot of walking ahead of him. The visit to the bank was painless. He thought he would have a debit card made for him, but he had no address for which they could send it. Instead, he created a checking account and transferred some of the money that was in the trust fund to that—enough so that he could use it to rent some small place to live. He was able to obtain a credit card on the same day. From there, he went to an ATM and took a small amount out of his checking account. Then he used his cellphone which was miraculously still working and called for a cab to take him to Jinpachi's place.

The place was deathly silent and strangely uninviting. The door was unlocked so he had an easy time finding his car keys and driving off with the car that he had been given. The faster he could get out of there, the better. It had all seemed foreign. This was the place that he had lived in for many years and now he could hardly recognize it. It was as if along with Jinpachi's death, the house had also been robbed of its warmth. Kazuya never wanted to step foot in there ever again.

He drove and drove and drove until his stamina almost gave out on him completely. The pain in his chest had grown to a point that he was forced to take the pills prescribed to him so that he could breathe properly. Kazuya had no idea where he was—someplace far off from where he had lived before, someplace where Heihachi wasn't so nearby. The very next hotel he spotted he decided to rent a room in. The price was cheap and so was the room, but those things didn't matter to Kazuya. He only had a set amount of money to use and he had to use it wisely until he could find some way to have a steady flow of money. It was still too much to think about as he laid sprawled on unpleasant sheets. He just wanted someplace to sleep, someplace which he could call home.

/

AN: Sorry, Underclass Kid, this is shorter than the last chapter, but I couldn't put anything else in it. Asdfqwerty (clever name, by the way), there will sure to be more Kazuya/Jun in the future. Kazuya is hot (I agree :D), yes!—someone noticed the foreshadow! AniDenDav, the legend thing—maybe not, especially after receiving my official second "flame" review and it happened to be in this category. Seems like I'll need a beta-reader or something. Anyways, I have recaptured the plot bunny.


	26. Train Fight

Chapter 26: Train. Fight.

The medical bills alone had taken almost half of what Jinpachi had given him. How long could he live like this? He had to figure out something quickly. He had continued to live at the hotel because there was a gym within walking distance to him. He tried to train as hard as he had in the past, but he still found that he lacked adequate stamina. After going so long without exercise and for being sick for an extended period of time, Kazuya knew that at the moment, Heihachi could easily wipe the floor with him. Steadily, as the weeks passed he regained his former strength, but what good would that do him now?

"You really are hopeless, aren't you?"

At the time, he had been lying in his bed after a particularly long session at the gym. It startled him to hear Devil's voice once again. "Nice of you to grace me with your presence."

"I was simply being a spectator. There are some things which I do not wish to involve myself in. Besides, watching you struggle after your encounter with Heihachi was pure entertainment for me."

"If this is all you came to inform me of—

"Oh, no. I'm always here to help," Devil cackled. "You continued your training without me having to egg you on. I guess I owe you some kind of reward."

"Save it. I don't want anything you could possibly give me."

"Even a way to make a decent income?"

"I don't have any skills!"

"You can fight, can't you?"

"I'm not going to rob people."

"No, no, not that. You could compete in tournaments all over the world."

"I'm just not as strong as before. Besides, the money that I got from winning those tournaments are meager considering that I now I have more to pay for."

"Well, this time, don't waste them on pointless items like tennis shoes." Kazuya grimaced at this point, but Devil continued, "Didn't I say tournaments all over the world? Japan is just one country. There are plenty of others. If you really want to make a lot of money in a short time, try America."

"You act like you've been there before."

"I've been everywhere, kid. You just follow my lead. I won't lead you astray."

"Don't make me laugh," Kazuya said immediately. "But it doesn't seem like I have a lot of other options," he said after a second thought.

"Then what are we waiting for?"  
>"Are you trying to get me killed? I'm certainly not ready yet."<p>

Devil cackled at this, "Time is of the essence. Prepare yourself quickly."

"You have a lot of nerves…"

"Are you just going to keep blaming me or are you going to do something about it?"

Doing something about it was the only thing he could do. So Kazuya began again. He hadn't remembered training this much since his father had decided to become his drill sergeant all those years ago. The pain was familiar even comforting. While he was in an entirely new place, the training itself made him, for a short while, forget about all the changes that had already occurred in his life. For the most part, he simply did not want to dwell on Jinpachi's death. He knew that it was just a can of worms he'd rather keep sealed so he never did.

When he wasn't training, he was either resting or eating. Any side activities that he had taken to while he lived with Jinpachi were nonexistent. His world became a steady routine. There was no longer any need to make any conscious decisions as he became akin to a mere drone. While at first he was weak, as the weeks and then months passed, he became stronger and stronger. It took him almost a year to decide that he was ready for a tournament wherever one might be.

He began anew with the tournaments in Japan for two more years under a new name, his own. He began to make quite a name for himself. After learning something once, relearning it made him twice as skillful. Everything was coming back to him plus more. He fought and won against so many opponents that he could practically size up an opponent just by looking at them. The entire span of time he spent in Japan going to tournament after tournament, he never ran into Kunimitsu or Yoshimitsu. It was a fight that he had been looking forward to in order to gauge his strength and how much he had improved, but it never came. Perhaps they had moved on to bigger better things. Maybe they just had other things to do.

But there was one name that kept bothering him: Uramesh Taisuke. The doctor that had fooled him so easily back then at Jinpachi's Mansion. He had asked for his real name and he had given it. As Kazuya imagined, it would probably be no easy task to get near him, but if Uramesh was near anyone, it would be Heihachi. Although at first Kazuya had decided that he would not get anywhere close to Heihachi until he was ready to, he would always think back on the fact that somewhere Uramesh was out there alive laughing at his folly. He tried to ignore the thoughts, but it would not go away until Kazuya finally swallowed his fears and set out to "make things right".

Kazuya no longer cared that the "right" he was thinking of probably included a great deal of pain. He couldn't get his father back just yet, but he could take care of the lesser evil. He still had his car for now. Even as he climbed down the steps of the hotel he had been living at for a while, he could hear Devil's admonishments about the entire affair. He had better things to do, this was pointless and it would not serve him in anyway, he was wasting what precious time he had left before his money ran out, he was being an idiot. However, there was no reason that could have stopped Kazuya from going. His resolve was so robust that at some point Devil turned completely silent.

He hadn't driven anywhere in a while. It was almost a completely new feeling when he turned on the engine and the car hummed in anticipation. Kazuya was not really concerned with the speed. He was only thinking about what he would do once he got there. No one could tell him that he'd probably have to wait around for hours perhaps days before he got what he wanted—not even a flustered Devil.

The familiar skyscraper came into view and he parked in a parking lot that was just far enough so that he could remain in secrecy, but close enough so that he could see who was coming in. In reality, Kazuya didn't have to see Taisuke at all that day. He could have spent weeks sitting there in that one spot and see no sign of him. But everything seemed to fall into place. Kazuya didn't know what kind of car Taisuke drove, but he could tell it was him when he drove through the only entrance to the large parking lot. He followed it with his eyes at first, but soon he revved up his engines and tracked him down…all the way to the far back of the parking lot. Of course a double-timing individual like him would opt for such a location. If he had done it to him, perhaps Taisuke had had similar jobs and wanted to stay as close to secrecy as he could. Kazuya couldn't find a park right next to Taisuke's car, but it didn't matter. There was no need to continue his tiptoeing. He cut the engine and simply stepped out of the car while it still remained in the middle of the road inside the lot. Patience wasn't exactly one of his virtues, but for some reason at that moment, instead of simply walking up to the car and snatching the man out of the car, he decided that he would wait for the other to walk out further.

In fact, it seemed like Taisuke might not have noticed Kazuya at all had Kazuya not called out of his name. Imagine the look of surprise on his face as he turned to a man he'd never even began to dream of seeing again.

"Uramesh Taisuke," Kazuya said steadily. "That is your name, correct?" The man stared at him for so long that he felt that he had to be reassured.

"No…no, you can't be him," Taisuke replied with wide eyes, "No one could have survived that. You must be…someone else."

"You don't seem like the kind of person to give out their name so freely. What are the odds that some random stranger would guess it on the first try?"

"It's impossible," Taisuke said shaking his head slowly, "You died."

"I didn't die. Even when you left I was still alive. Seems you're not too good on finishing what you started."

"So you're here for revenge. I don't know how you survived, but you should have counted yourself lucky and skipped town."

"What do you think I've been doing for this last year? As far as you knew, I was dead, until now."

Kazuya watched the other size him up and the man nodded back at him with a smile.

"You would risk blowing your cover for a simple vengeance call? You just don't get it do you? 'Death' was the best thing that happened to you. When Heihachi wants someone killed, he will do it one way or another."

"I guess that sucks for you, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"You were supposed to have killed me. What do you think he will do once he finds out that you failed?"

"He won't."

"Oh, is that so."

"And if you cared even a little about your own wellbeing, you'd be relieved. Once he knows you're alive, he'll hunt you down until you're dead."

"You're right, I don't care. I only came here for one thing."

What more evidence did Taisuke need as Kazuya slipped into his fighting stance preparing himself for combat? Taisuke simply bowed and followed in suit. By now he had figured out that there was no way to talk his way out of this to someone as hardheaded as Kazuya.

Kazuya wasted no time throwing the first punch. It came so fast that it actually connected with the other square in the face. Taisuke recovered quickly and decided right then and there that he would end this fight immediately. His hand sliced through the air towards Kazuya's exposed neck. Taisuke never imagined that Kazuya would catch his hand before it hit its target. At that same moment, instead of thrusting his hand away, Kazuya pulled the other closer. This action gave Kazuya prime opportunity to slam one of his fists into the other's guts. Taisuke received two more of these bone shattering punches before he finally pulled back from Kazuya. Taisuke tried for another approach sensing that the other was quite proficient at throwing painful punches. Slickly, Taisuke began a sudden barrage of high kicks and then low kicks. Many of them hit their marks, but one sidestep on Kazuya's part immediately threw the other off balance. Taisuke suddenly found himself in a neck hold that was wholly inescapable. Then he felt a crushing pain in his back. Though he tried to shout out, all that came out was a gurgle. Kazuya simply let go of the other and Taisuke fell limply to the ground. When Taisuke tried to move, the excruciating pain stopped him.

"What did you do?" Taisuke asked through gritted teeth

"You may want to think about switching careers," Kazuya said looking down at the other.

His knee had been enough to fracture Taisuke's back. Whether he was paralyzed or not was up in the air. Kazuya supposed that if the other could still feel pain, there may still be hope.

"You bastard! Is this what you came here to do? Did you wake up in the morning and say to yourself 'today is the day that I paralyze Uramesh Taisuke'? What kind of sick person does that?"

"You think you can get away with what you did to me? When Heihachi chose you to kill me, you signed your death warrant."

"It was all just business. You and I both know that what Heihachi wants, he gets. I couldn't deny him even if I tried."

"This is far from business. I'm debating now if I should leave you where you are or simply put you out of your misery. How about it? How long do you think it'll take for someone to come peel you off the ground?"

"You're _not_ going to leave me here like this!"

"You're right, perhaps that's a little too cruel. I have a better idea."

"Please…if I could just have my cellphone…I'll forget I ever saw you and come up with some other excuse as to why I'm in this position."

"It's almost too good to be true," Kazuya replied with obvious sarcasm.

"Didn't you just come here for revenge? Well, you got what you were looking for. This could all end well in both of our favor if you just get my cellphone," Taisuke said with a touch of desperation.

"I know it will end well for me. Why don't you stop your groveling, it doesn't look right on you."

"What are you going to do?"

"Just stay still. You won't get anywhere on your own."

"Wait, what are you—

A piercing cry shot through the sky as a fractured spine snapped completely in two. The cry only lasted for a moment before it was muted by utter shock. Kazuya squatted down to the wide-eyed man and turned Taisuke's face towards his.

"For your sake, I hope my old man has mercy on you, but I doubt it. He's not the kind of man to take kindly to such weakness especially to someone who clearly lost a fight."

Taisuke only whimpered a little. It was the only thing he could manage. The numbness was too much to swallow. Even the sound of Kazuya's retreating footsteps prompted no response from Taisuke. Kazuya took one long look at the man, climbed back into his car and then drove off back to his room.

There was no remorse, no regret that took root in Kazuya's mind as he went about his day as if nothing had happened. In fact the best word to describe what Kazuya was feeling as he trekked to the gym on foot as he usually did was satisfaction—complete, blissful satisfaction. Devil was completely silent for the rest of the day. Kazuya wondered if that was a good thing or horribly bad thing. Just that morning, Devil couldn't shut-up about how this was such a bad idea, now there was nothing. If it was a bad thing, then Kazuya didn't want it to end.

The most annoying thing in the world to Kazuya was the sound of Devil's voice, but for some reason it was no longer there. Of course, Devil was still there and active, but that was all. It was…strange, to say the least. At the same time, it was comforting. He could think on his own, he could do things on his own without the sound of _that_ voice. This uncanny change didn't simply end on that day, it continued. Kazuya trained for a few weeks longer before finally setting off for more tournaments.

In this way, Kazuya's prowess became so well-known, that he began to receive invitations to bigger and better tournaments—ones that had quite a bit of prize money. Kazuya went wherever the tournament was and after a couple of years amassed a substantial amount of wealth. To say that he had been everywhere was a tall claim considering that he only knew one language; Japanese. It wasn't that he actively refused to learn other languages; it was that he couldn't care less. Sure, it could be a hassle at times—a _real_ hassle at times—and he'd have to deal with people shouting at him like he was mentally compromised and with being made fun of on multiple basis, but he always got what he wanted: fight in a tournament, win the first place prize, add money to bank accounts.

He continued in this way for longer than he could remember. It all became a blur. Had he not been going to other countries for these tournaments, he might not have been able to separate one from the other. Every waking minute became fighting time, even his dreams couldn't escape the monotony. But to Kazuya, monotony was a good thing. Monotony meant normalcy for Kazuya. Finding himself in such a situation brought him some comfort, however it was overshadowed by something that Kazuya could no longer escape from: isolation.

He felt isolated from everyone. Constant language barriers aside, he was isolated from real people. The only thing that would ever talk to him was his own thoughts—Devil for some reason was nowhere to be heard. Kazuya didn't miss it all, but he felt as if its voice should have been there always in his ears whispering for him to do some horrible thing. The only true contact he had with people was when he was beating the living daylights out of them. He lived in isolation, he walked in isolation, and he slept in complete utter isolation. It became the norm.

During the "off" seasons, mainly during fall and winter, Kazuya would return to the same room he still owned in Japan. He could afford a better place, but he never felt like looking for anything else and he had gotten used to its cheapness. Once Kazuya got used to something, his mind would never think to change it no matter what unless someone were to point it out to him. No one would, of course. So, every fall and winter, the room would be occupied by a very solemn and spent Kazuya. There were never any complaints from the owner. No disputes ever occurred. For the time being, that was his home—a place that he would strangely think about while he was off in some other country. He thought of it fondly as if someone would be waiting there for him, as if he was missing so much by not being there.

It would be the same every time. He'd come back to an empty and dusty room. But it bought some small joy to him. No one was waiting there for him, but surely the room itself must've gotten bored without any occupants. He'd clean it from top to bottom as if to assert his presence there, as if to say "hello" to a dreary, sad room. The room could never gleam, but at least it would smell nice where it used to smell musty. The room could then say back to him "long time no see" as all the dust was taken from it.

"Hello, room," Kazuya said quietly one night as he stepped back into the room after a long, extended absence.

He carried little with him, just a bag with clothes and toiletries in it. Without further ado, he began to systematically clean the room and then after a few hours, climbed into a familiar hard bed.

/

AN: Sorry guys for the wait. Break is coming soon for me, but it's not quite here yet. That just means I still have a lot of projects to attend to. That being said, I _had_ to write something or else my brain would have exploded with anticipation. At first glance, it may not seem as if this chapter has taken the plot any further, but don't worry it has. If anything, it's giving a nice setting to the next chapter I'm planning on getting to during the break. Hope you've enjoyed reading thus far. Oh, and thank you, thank you, thank you, for the reviews. I swear I do backflips every time I get one. If you're counting, I guess that's 44 backflips by .


	27. The New Arrival

Chapter 27: The New Arrival

Kazuya wondered how he could have gotten sick again. Had it been rain? That was the last time all those years ago that he could remember when he had been under the weather—the Devil induced illness did not count. No chance for rain being the cause, however, it hadn't rained in this prefecture for quite some time. Could it be a cleanliness issue? Kazuya hoped that that wasn't the case. He always showered soon after training or if he could not do so due to tiredness, he would do it soon after he had enough energy for it. Maybe he could clean the room a little more often than he did, but Kazuya was no maid. Cleaning places like the kitchen or living room was completely foreign to him. There was no way to tell if he was doing it right. He could only base it off of the brief times that he had observed some of the many housemaids at Jinpachi's mansion and that knowledge was scant. Perhaps it _was_ a cleanliness issue. Maybe he needed to wash his clothes more often or even his sheets—he could go on and on. Could something as simple as that be the cause?

He didn't even pull the covers over himself that night. He felt so weak at this point that it didn't matter. Try as he might, he couldn't stay asleep for very long as he would wake himself up on account of his stuffy nose and not being able to breathe. To this end, he was in and out of sleep for most of the night until the point where he just stared up at the ceiling in utter defeat and annoyance. At some point, he really did fall asleep, but it was only a light one, however, that was more than enough for Kazuya. He was hardly aware of another presence in the room that appeared to have been watching the whole thing—then again, why would he be? Who else lived here besides himself?

"Kazuya?" a gentle voice from nearby asked. "Kazuya, how long are you going to ignore me, sleepyhead? We have a lot to do today."

Despite already deciding that he was imagining a voice that sounded suspiciously like Jun, he couldn't help but respond. "Go away."

"I promise there'll be something in it for you, if you come with me. You can't mean that you're going to waste this beautiful day in here again?"

"Why don't you just leave me alone? Obviously, I don't feel like going anywhere today."

"But I'll take you to a place you'd really like to go."

The temptation for opening his eyes and confirming that he was talking to a woman that was a figment of his imagination grew to the point that he simply did so. There was no one beside his bed besides a rather drab, unadorned dresser. Slightly peeved that he had once again woke himself up, but this time for an entirely whimsical reason, he turned over and tried to sleep once again. The task was beginning to seem impossible.

"There's this new athletic shoe store that opened up. Have you heard of it? Only the most top name brands are allowed to grace its doorsteps."

"Are you really still here?"

"Are you really just going to ignore me? Admit it; I've piqued your interest."

"Seeing as none of this can be true, no."

"Why shouldn't it be?"

"Because it isn't. I feel like I'm going around in a circle with you."

"Let me think. What reason could there be that I haven't gotten a proper response out of you?"

"Why don't I make it easier for you; you're annoying and I really don't feel like talking to anyone, right now."

"You don't feel like talking? But you hardly ever do that sort of thing these days, right? Oh, wait, I just realized something…Yes, I get it now, you're not feeling so well. I forget, humans do get sick sometimes."

The use of the word "human" struck Kazuya as odd. Wasn't she a human or at least as human as a disembodied voice could be? He was startled when he felt a rather cool hand press against his forehead. He might have tried to take hold of said hand if he had enough energy for such things. Assuming that this was a dream, Kazuya decided that he would let it run its course. Eventually, it'd be morning time. Maybe when he woke up, he would be stronger or strong enough to trek out to the pharmacy.

"Your temperature is far too high for a human. It must be a fever."

"Good work, Sherlock. Now, can you leave me in peace?"

"No, I can't do that, especially not now."

"I'm ignoring you now."

"Devil still exists within your body and daily he gains more and more control over you. Listen, to me."

This time, Kazuya really didn't respond.

"Really? How childish."

"Just go away already," Kazuya said exasperatedly, "All I want to do is rest in peace and for some reason you won't stop talking."

"But…I thought you were rest –'less'. Isn't that the term one would use for someone who can't sleep? Am I really being so bothersome?"

"Don't you understand—tch, why am I even trying to explain myself to you? I can't believe that the only thing I can dream up is some dimwitted woman who can't shut-up."

"I'm not an idiot, Kazuya. You tell me what's wrong and I'll try to fix it, okay?"

"I've already told you what's wrong: you."

"Me? But why?"

"Do I have to say it?"

"How could it be me when I'm here to help? From where I stand, you could use some of that. Humans need medicine don't they? Kazuya, are you even listening to me? Hey, Kazuya, this isn't funny."

"…So tired…go away."

"I guess that makes sense now that I think about it. Wouldn't tiredness be a consequence of sickness?"

If he had enough energy, he would have throttled her by now that is if this "her" had more than just a voice and a hand. Instead, he was doomed to continue to hear her voice until she finally got the message. Since her voice was soft and not at all annoying, it was easy for him to stop listening. He wasn't sure what she was talking about any longer, perhaps she was becoming peeved at his non-responsiveness.

"Alright, I'll help you sleep. I guess it was bad judgment on my part to come to you at this moment. Perhaps I need to observe humans a little more closely." Kazuya felt the same cool hand press against his forehead. "I see; a stuffy nose as well. Let me see what I can do about that."

The only thing Kazuya noted was that a sudden inescapable tiredness came over him and the only thing he could do was fall into a sort of unconscious sleep akin to a coma but not quite.

/

"Hey, Kazuya!"

Kazuya felt two slaps across the face. In an immediate retaliation, he tried to grab the neck of the person who would dare do such a thing, but caught only air. At the same moment, he had his eyes open and saw that there was never anything there.

"Perfect…" Kazuya grumbled, "I can't even distinguish fiction from reality."

He looked over at the dresser from before and saw that the top of it was now chalk full of medicine for what seemed like every sickness known to man.

"How?…it couldn't be that woman…"

"Will that do, Kazuya?"

Kazuya looked behind himself expecting to see someone, but his eyes were met with nothing.

"As if I need to hear another voice in my head," Kazuya said aloud.

"You know, you're a hard man to please."

His eyes were not ready for the flash of light that shot down like a lightening in front of him. He raised his arm to protect his eyes from further damage. Literally, his vision was quite hazy for a good two minutes.

"Okay, Kazuya, you can look already."

/

AN: So who is this mysterious character? Well, you probably already know. If you do, don't be too surprised, this person's role is not at all significant at this point, but giving an introduction here makes more sense for later. And no, break has not arrived yet. In the midst of LISP programming, this chapter is somehow created…


	28. Angel's Purpose

Chapter 28: Angel's Purpose

The first thing that Kazuya noted was the bright wings. She wore so much white that even though he was able to look at her she was still blinding. Her soft blond hair was tied up in a bun and tendrils of hair fell down onto her face. She looked at him with bright blue eyes and smiled.

"What are you?" Kazuya finally questioned.

"Angel."

"You're an angel?"

"I'm Angel"

"Your name is Angel?"

"Correct."

"But you're not an angel?"

"Well, I'm certainly not a human. I'm not just another 'voice'. I was sent here for a reason, to keep an eye out on you. It's not often a human receives such attention, you should feel honored."

"I'm guessing, 'Angel' isn't your real name."

"Fine, if you're so concerned about it, I'll just tell you: No, it isn't, but you're just a human. That you could ever be on first name basis with me is preposterous. I've been ordered to be as accommodating as I can towards you, but that isn't a line I wish to cross."

"You keep saying that someone sent you or you were ordered to do something. From who exactly?"

"Yet another example of information you are not entitled to."

"If this is you being accommodating, I'd hate to see the flip-side."

"Pray that you won't. For the time being, I am your ally."

"You talk as if there's a war going on."

"There's always a war going on whether you're ignorant to it or not. Good and evil always coincide with one another—one inspires the other. In this realm, it is far more prevalent. Every choice that one makes is either considered good or evil. Humans like to invent their own gray area, but in the grand scheme of things there is no such thing. Now, I'm not told much—I only do what is assigned for me to do, but I'd say that deal you made with Devil—a very, old and perpetual evil that always exist here—has tipped the scales a little too much for comfort, so much so that an angel would be asked to make sure nothing catastrophic occurs."

"I've never asked for any help on that matter. What happens when I say I resent you being here in the first place—I can take care of myself."

"Well, you've been doing a poor job of it. Devil strings you along like any other weak fool. In fact, you can no longer distinguish his voice from your own. That is a dangerous situation to be in and unless someone was to point it out to you, you'd be none the wiser."

"What? What are you saying?"

"You've been following Devil's will so freely that it's obvious you have no clue as to what's really happening. You think your thoughts are your own, but they are not. Some time ago, your own thoughts ceased and they have painstakingly been replaced by that of Devil's."

"That's…impossible. I…"

"What proof do you have that it is otherwise? If you thought you were somehow winning this war you have with Devil, then you are sadly mistaken. Do you realize what you've done since then, since Devil has taken more control? What of Uramesh?"

"He deserved it."

"The situation doesn't matter in the end. You committed the act of killing—that isn't something Kazuya could do on his own. Traveling to other countries for the mere purpose of hurting others and strengthening yourself, isn't something that Kazuya would bother with."

"Stop referring to me in third person—

"I can when the shoe fits. Who am I talking to even now? When will you realize that the thoughts you have now are no longer your own. The thoughts that are clearly against what I am saying or ones that would try to justify killing another person or the ones that are trying to convince you that your thoughts are your own—those are the very ones that I speak of. The real Kazuya would take the time and examine if what I say is true."

"Now you stand there acting like you know me. We've only just met and you tell me something like this? Any sane person wouldn't think twice in ignoring you."

"Humans aren't so complex that they can't all fit into certain archetypes. Devil has figured you out completely—it doesn't take a rocket scientist. What you like, what you don't like, your wants, your needs—in the end, all humans are predictable. I don't have to know you to understand who you are or rather who you are supposed to be. Kazuya, I'm here to make sure you don't do anything stupid. You are to be watched 24-7."

"What exactly is 'stupid' for you angels?"

"Committing one of the higher classed sins."

"Which are?"

"Humans are born with strong moral compasses more so than other beings. If you listen to your soul or the more vernacular term "heart", there will never be any questions as to what I'm talking about."

"A moral compass, you say. What planet do you come from? People all around are murdered by the same people you say have such a thing."

"Many humans choose to ignore it. They are born with so many gifts, but most choose to downgrade themselves to despicably low levels—it is in a human's nature to squander all that they are entitled to. Some even claim that they were not entitled to it in the first place. Some will say that their brains are too dull or fractured to understand good or evil. I assure you, this is not true. The brain has nothing to do with it. It is one's soul; that is where the "You" lives. You are no different, Kazuya. You'll be able to feel when you're doing the wrong thing."

"Angel," Kazuya said after a moment, "Is it true what you said? That my thoughts are not my own anymore"

"That you're beginning to believe me is a good sign. Yes, it is very true. I wouldn't lie to you."

"You lied to me about your name."

"I protected myself by not giving you my real name. It is merely a pseudonym and a very obvious one at that. I'm an angel; I was not created to lead humans astray."

"Yes, you came here to help me. Then why don't you do something for me?"

"What is it?"

"Cure me."

"Absolve Devil's presence in your mind?"

"Sure, that."

"I cannot. You agreed to a binding contract with Devil. Once a contract is made, it is highly improbable that it could ever be broken—and it isn't good practice. There are a set of rules that even evil must obey. I haven't been given the power to break the contract if it is possible."

"Then what about that person who gives you orders?"

"I have already been given orders, I cannot ask for more or less."

"Everyone's problems would be resolved easily if I could just get from under Devil's thumb."

"You mean _your_ problems would be resolved. I do not question my orders and I trust that they were given in good faith. There must be a good reason why I was only sent to observe and point things out for you. As I heard a human say once, you can only deal with what you have. Make the best of my guidance and perhaps you'll have a brighter future. Now, I have been kind enough to talk to you in my visible form, but it is pertinent that I remain invisible so as not to be seen by unwanted humans. If you don't have any more questions…."

"No, I don't. Just go."

"I'll simply disappear, but I'll still be nearby."

Kazuya sat on his bed in silent contemplation. Devil had been there the whole time. He shouldn't have been surprised, though. When was it not there? Aside from Jun's presence, there was no way Kazuya alone could be rid of it. Why had he even _begun_ to believe that? What power did he really have over anything? If he always assumed the worst, then he wouldn't be in this situation now.

The fact that he could no longer tell when Devil was there whispering its sly commands scared him the most. He was no longer safe—his own thoughts were no longer safe. What if the thoughts going through his mind at this moment were also false? What could he possibly do? Even with an angel on his shoulder, there was really nothing to be done. Follow his soul? He no longer had one and if it really existed, it was probably charred to a crispy black. Kazuya held no pretenses about himself. How long was he going to keep this up? How long until…

_BRIIING BRIIING BRIING_!

Kazuya was startled by the sudden ringing of his phone. He stared at it strangely for a moment as another round of ringing went by. That he still had a cellphone surprised him the most never mind who could be calling him. He finally picked up the cell after another moment and looked at the name spread across the small screen: Jun.

"Hello?" Kazuya answered uncertainly to the phone.

"It's me Jun. We haven't talked in so long. Sorry about that, I've just been so busy. Adjusting to life at the university took a lot more out of me than I thought."

"I haven't called either. I guess you could say I've been busy."

"Of course you are. I bet your grandfather's been training you extra hard to take over his position. It sounds like you've gotten a lot better. Are you okay?"

"Okay as in I'm able to walk around on my own? Yes. But enough about me; how have you been doing?"

"Life at the university is so different. I mean, I'm still getting over the fact that my mom isn't always there reminding me to do things—everything depends on me now. It's…nice and scary at the same time."

"Ah, your first taste of independence. I'm sure you'll get used to it. In fact, you might even find it more to your liking."

"I think I already am. I've made a lot of friends. Sometimes my social life runs right into my work—I never thought I would have to turn people down from hanging out. It's really like a new adventure. Only…"

"What is it?"

"Only sometimes…I find myself wishing that you were here to experience the same thing. This environment, I think it would have been something you might have liked."

"I doubt it. But for you, I think it's a perfect match."

"You like to exercise a lot, right? There's people like that here too. People from all walks of life come here. Surely, even you could have found your niche."

"Well, if you say so, then it must be true."

Jun laughed when he said this. "Oh, yeah, because I'm always right," she said with playful sarcasm.

"If it's something that you believe, then it could hardly be wrong."

"You know, you're only person who would say that to ,e. I've been getting so used to having to prove myself to everyone that I forgot that there's a little something called trust that could supersede all that."

"Give it time. They don't know you as well as I do."

"It's really nice to hear you say that. You know, I was a little scared about calling you—I thought you would be well, angry or disappointed because I hadn't done so sooner. I know _you_ pretty well too. When it comes to communication, it always falls on me."

"I'm the last person who would be angry at you for that. It's the least I could do, I suppose."

"Well, believe it or not, there was a reason that I called you today. Spring break is coming up in a couple of days and I wanted to tell you that I'm flying back home for it. I could come visit you—we could make up for lost time."

"No."

"No what," Jun asked with confusion.

"You don't have to come and visit me. You should see your mom. I'm sure she misses you."

"Yeah, I know she does. She's called me dozens of times. But what about you? Do you…miss me?"

"Of course I do."

"Well then, I'll visit."

"That isn't a good idea. Just trust me on this, it isn't a good idea."

"I don't understand you sometimes. You tell me one thing and then do another. Look, let me explain this to you. When you miss someone, you _want_ them to come visit as soon as they can. Now, I'm coming to visit and that's that."

"Wait, Jun—

But Jun had already hung up probably because she didn't want to hear anything else contradictory towards her point. Then again, Kazuya didn't think he could explain himself properly in the first place especially when it hardly made sense in his own mind. Part of him was glad that Jun was a person who couldn't take no for an answer. When she got like that, he knew there was nothing he could tell her to convince her otherwise no matter what, no matter if she had no clue where exactly he was residing or anything that had happened to him over these past few years. Somehow, Kazuya knew that she would get anything that she put her mind to and there was no way for him to stop her. It was comforting above all else.

But another part of him—the one that was more cautious—was leery of Jun's inability to just listen to him. How could he ever protect her if she was always so headstrong? He was no longer safe to be around in the first place. He was like a ticking bomb and he didn't want Jun anywhere near when everything went south. The best way to really protect Jun was to stop associating with her altogether, but he was too selfish to go so far as that. He wasn't ready to sacrifice his one semblance of normalcy just to protect the only person left alive he still loved. In fact, it was likely impossible for him to do.

Kazuya looked over at the dresser top full of medicine. He perused all of it for almost half an hour before finally settling on two liquid based ones. Funny though, he didn't feel so sick as of now, but it was always a good thing to play it safe.

Still there was no sign of Devil. After what Angel had told him there was nothing anyone could say that could explain this fact away. It just wasn't good. He never imagined that he would ever prefer Devil's voice over its silence.

"Devil," Kazuya said aloud. "We haven't talked in a while. Whatever it is you're planning, I think it'd go a lot smoother if you just told me."

He waited and waited and waited, but no one answered him.

"Devil," Kazuya pleaded, "Just tell me what it is you want. If this is some kind of punishment—I think you've made your point."

Kazuya crossed his arms in annoyance when the only thing he received was more silence.

"You're scared, aren't you?"

Kazuya looked up in surprise. It was Devil's voice once again.

"That's what I like to see, little man."

"I'm not scared," Kazuya retorted.

"You can't hide anything from me, boy. Are you really going to listen to that Angel character? How could you trust some stranger over—

"Over someone who has my best interest at heart? I'll take my chances. Tell me, Devil, why is it that you've been silent for so long?"

"I do that from time to time mostly when there's nothing to be said. You've been doing exactly as I wanted—why fix what's not broken?"

"Oh really, is that the reason? You honestly want me to believe that. I've never done exactly what you wanted. There was always something you didn't like and you'd complain about it. Now, it's different."

"You can believe what you want. That Angel friend of yours is nothing to be so proud of. You asked her to do one thing and she couldn't do it. What kind of friend is that? You asked me to spare your life and I did just that."

"That's the _only_ thing you've done for me."

"I've made you stronger, far more driven than any other sniveling human could ever be."

"Funny, I think my father would have said the same thing, but in the end, he didn't help me at all."

"You're comparing me to that despicable man?"

"Well, aren't you the pot calling the kettle black?"

"I don't think you understand who it is you're dealing with."

"You're Devil, right?"

"You can say my name all you like, but you still don't understand. My influence is far reaching. In a snap, I could have you die or make you wish you were dead."

"Then what's stopping you?"

"Haven't I told you before? I chose you out of so many. I'm not going to simply walk away because of something as trivial as stubbornness. There are many ways to get around that."

"Like shaping my thoughts to be your own?"

"Well, that is what a devil is good at, don't you think? Manipulation is practically my middle name—it's no secret."

"Then how am I supposed to trust a single word you say?"

"Easy. It's because you have to. You can only take what I give you. Remember, Kazuya, you are no longer in control. You forfeit that right when you made that deal with me. You may think you've been 'successful' thus far, but you're just a fish in a small pond. In the end, I'll have my way one way or the other. Really, I don't understand why you put so much effort into denying me—it's useless."

"It's just something I have to do. I don't need a reason for it. When one's life is being threatened, one tends to hold onto life for as long as they can."

"Even a person like you? You don't even _enjoy_ life. What exactly are you living for? What's wrong?—can't answer?"

"There is something…or someone."

"Ah, the very person I can't stand to be around.

"That comes as no surprise—you hate anyone that I happen to like."

"I hate people who get in my way, that is all."

"She doesn't get in your way."

"Oh, she does, more than you know."

"You won't have to worry much anyways—it's not likely I'll see her anytime soon."

"That doesn't matter—you _want_ to see her again and that is just as bad."

"It doesn't matter what I want anymore. There is something that I must do—that is the only reason I try my hardest to deal with the cards given to me—even you. Devil, you have to do me one favor."

"I've given you enough favors."

"Don't try to hang that over my head—if it didn't benefit you, then you would not have saved me in the first place. We're equal as far as favors go. Besides, I'm not asking for a lot. You have to promise me that you will never lay a hand on Jun no matter what the circumstances no matter if you have a dire need to."

"Well, that's an easy one to keep—I wouldn't want anything to do with her."

"I don't want you to harm her in the least even when I'm no longer myself."

"I thought you were so obstinate about the fact that I'll never have control over you. All you've ever done is try to stop the inevitable. It sounds like you've finally gotten more realistic—I guess humans can learn."

"I was younger then—more naïve. I've lived with you for many years and I realize that this isn't something I could keep up for the rest of my life however long it will be. My will…isn't as strong as it used to be. It's as if, the closer I get to my goal, the less I feel like fighting against you. I'm almost certain that you _will_ get your way sooner or later whether I want you to or not. I've thought about it and I really don't care what happens to me so long as Jun is kept safe and is able to live a long and healthy life."

"It sounds like you're offering me something here, boy."

"Take it however you want. I will never offer myself to you, but you'll just have to try a lot harder if you truly want your way. What do you say, Devil, will you honor my request?"

"You really don't understand your position, do you? To think you have the audacity to order _me_ around of all people—fine, I'll do it," Devil said with a sigh, "I think it would work more in my favor if I simply accept. There, you happy?"

"I think demons can't be as bad as Angel would have me think. They can be sly and underhanded, but not completely unreasonable."

"Ha! You're far too optimistic for your own good."

"I have to be. Either that or wallow in depression and that isn't very productive."

"You do realize that this is the longest we've spoken to each other," Devil pointed out.

"You do realize that this is the loneliest I've ever been. Who else could I speak to if not you?"

"There's that angel."

"I don't know her very well. You've been with me for so long that I feel that I could trust you with some things."

"And the naïve Kazuya returns."

"I mean it. I don't plan on having a lot of friends—I don't want them. All I'd do is hurt them in the end. In many ways, you know me more than anyone else. In the end, you'll be the only voice I can hear."

"Humans are such strange creatures. They'll befriend the very person who's trying to kill them."

"I know who you are. I know what you're trying to do," Kazuya said as he began to climb back into bed. The medicine must have finally taken affect. "And that's why I can trust you. Can one even call it betrayal if they already see it coming?"

"If I were something besides a demon, I might even feel a little guilty."

"But you're not," Kazuya said as he closed his eyes. "It's not in your nature. Don't try to be something you can never be."

"Naïve child, you don't have to tell me twice."

/

AN: A lot of talking in this one, I know. But don't worry, I'm sensing a Jun person coming up in the next chapter. Stay tuned.


	29. Jun's Revelation

AN: Jun's point of view.

Chapter 29: Jun's Revelation

Jun was glad when she finally spotted her mom in the tarrying crowd. She had managed to take only one luggage with her so rushing over to her mom wasn't quite as laborious as it could have been.

"Jun!" her mom called out to her loudly over the other voices.

"Mom!" Jun called back to make sure that the other knew that she had seen her.

After some dodging and evading, they finally made it to each other and Jun's mom was taking her out to the sprawling parking lot.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so glad you're here, honey. It's been so _long_."

"Don't sound so dramatic."

"It's been _four_ years. That's almost half a decade. It's been too long, _too_ long."

"Well, traveling back every holiday would have been a hassle. It took a while to get myself situated down there. I found a job there too, mom, so I was able to find a stable place to live outside of the dorms. On the holidays, I can't stay in the dorms—there's still a place I can live and that's still a lot cheaper than flying down here and flying back."

"Oh, honey, if I knew you were having money problems—

"No, no, mom. It's my job to worry about my money. If I don't start now, then when?"

"I guess you're right. You've always been so independent, Jun."

"Well, I learn from the best," Jun said as she smiled at the other.

Jun's mom laughed at this, "I'm flattered—really I am. So," she said as she unlocked the doors to the car and watched the other place her luggage into the backseat, "There's one thing I've been dying to ask you."

"Alright, Mom, spill." She didn't like the playful smile on her face.

"Have you met in cute guys?"

"Mom!" Jun said as she began to blush.

"Well, I'm waiting."

"Is this really something we should be discussing as soon as I get back?"

"Oh, come on, it can't be all work and no play all the way out there with no supervision. I was your age too after all."

"I see," Jun said climbing into the car.

Jun's mom followed in suit, "Well?"

"Since you're pulling my arm about it—yes."

"Great. I mean, there has to be a reason why communication has become sparse lately."

"I'm sorry—I've just been—

"Busy, I know, I know. Now I know with what."

Jun was blushing so much at this point that she had turned away.

"Wow, there must be _a lot_ of boys."

"Mom, is this all you think about?"

"Listen, girl, we're both adults here, right? I've been single for _years_, you're just going to have to suck it up and give me details. It's a long ride back home so I have time."

"Who are you and what have you done with my mom?"

"She's treating you just like you want, like an adult. Now get to talking!" She said with a laugh.

"Well, I've had three boyfriends…"

So the conversation went as the two of them drove for miles upon miles all the way back home. Jun couldn't believe she had so much to say. It hadn't seemed like she'd done much at all in her mind, but when she was made to retrace her steps, she realized that she really had been busy with things besides her work and just hanging out. Jun would mostly attract guys that would eventually become too controlling. She was sweet and gentle and men with overbearing personalities would always go for something like that. They would at first think that they liked that under all that gentleness was fierce independence, but eventually it would become too much for them to handle and Jun would be forced to get from under them. Her heart wasn't really in it. Jun was someone who was pitifully attracted to companionship but not at the expense of her independence. Even if from the beginning she saw that there would be some major problems with the relationship, she would go for it anyways to see how long she could last—it was never very long, not in her eyes that envisioned eternity on a normal basis. It was naïve to hope that a relationship would last for so long after just one date, but that was Jun. Even six months didn't seem like a very long time for her and that was the minimum time she would spend in a relationship, the longest being a year.

She disclosed all this to her mom and somehow she felt much better afterwards. Sure, she had spoken to her girlfriends about it, but someone like Mom, someone who she respected over all else, was a different story. If _she_ could understand, then she felt that she had really accomplished something. She found herself not even wanting to talk about the main reason she had gone off to college—to educate herself. That was a given anyways. She was a hard worker; she was going to do well in school. Her mom knew as much. All that they really did was talk about boys even Mom spoke on a subject she normally didn't which was her father. Not that she hadn't before, but not in this context. Jun learned more about her father then she ever had before—it was refreshing so was the girls night out that they had as soon as Jun put her luggage up.

Jun had missed her mom in fact, even felt sorry for her. She found that her mom had started dating again, but nothing had become permanent. How lonely it must have been in that house all alone and she hadn't been calling as much as she had promised Mom. She promised herself from then on that she'd at least call her once a week perhaps even invite her to the university whenever she had enough money or Mom did.

"That seafood was great, Mom, but you really didn't have to spend so much for me."

"Nonsense. I can treat my daughter every once in a while. You're only here for a weak, right? There's barely _any_ time."

"Oh, Mom, you always manage to make me feel guilty."

"Now don't feel guilty. You have your own life now and you're allowed to live it. You make me proud every day. Every time I think of you at college doing what you love, it makes me happy. I want you to get the most out of life. It sounds like you're _really_ happy at that university. That's enough for me."

They had already parked in the driveway of the house so it was alright when Jun bent over from the passenger side to give the other a hefty hug. A tear had sprung to her eyes.

"Thanks, Mom."

It took them a moment to even step out of the car. It was at that moment, that Jun noticed something different about the mansion across the street. How had she missed it? Jun's mom saw where her eyes were looking and sighed.

"It's been that way for a while," Jun's mom said before she could ask. There was a "For Sell" sign on the front yard. "Come inside, I'll tell you all about it."

"Why didn't he tell me…I mean, I called him a few days ago. He sounded like he was alright."

"Come inside, dear. Standing out here won't solve anything."

Jun followed her mom after tearing her eyes from the sign. _Why didn't he just tell me…Why did he just lead me on like that…?_

They went into the living room and took seats across from one another. Jun's mom took a deep breath before she started talking.

"Sweetie, there's a reason people sometimes don't say certain things—it's harder for some people so don't be so upset about it. Jinpachi was his grandfather, right?"

"Yeah, he was going to give Kazuya one of the most prestigious jobs in his company."

"He passed away, honey."

"What…?"

"Yes," Jun's mom said nodding her head slowly, "It happened soon after you left and poor Kazuya was found unconscious at the mansion and his grandfather was nowhere to be found. Well, you already know that Kazuya is alright so I don't have to tell you that he made good recovery at the hospital. It was all over the news especially the search for his grandfather. He was never found and after all this time, they've declared him dead."

Jun was quiet for so long that Jun's mom worried if she had said too much too soon. She grew concerned when she heard Jun's tears. As if second nature, she swooped over to her side to comfort her as she hugged her closely.

"It's alright, honey."

"Mom…I'm just glad Kazuya is safe. If I had known…"

"Maybe he just couldn't get up the nerves to tell you."

"No, Mom," Jun said shaking her head, "He's not that kind of person. If he wanted to tell me, then he would have. He didn't want me to see him. Now I know why. Now I know that I must."

/

Three days had passed and she still had not found him. Wherever he was, he was far away. Maybe he wasn't even in this country any longer. Each day, she would drive back home in the late hours of the night losing hope little by little. She had come to see her mom, but she had also come to see Kazuya—the guy she couldn't stop thinking about. Even with all the new things she had seen, her mind would more than often return to him and wonder how he was doing. She thought it would be different. She thought that with a long span of absence, she would give him a chance to grow. When she left him, he seemed to have been headed in the right direction. And then all of this. There was no way she could have predicted this, but she felt as if it had been her fault. If only she had been there, he would not have had to go through all of it alone. It was tragedy after tragedy for him and each time, there was no one there for him. It was enough to bring tears to her eyes. She could almost feel his pain despite having not experienced it.

_I have to find him._

On the third night, she couldn't find it in herself to go back inside so she decided to sit down on the steps of her porch. These were the very same steps that Kazuya and she had hung out once before. Its significance being that he had never physically come to her house before then. She felt the closest to him there. She had a clear view of the looming mansion, dark and deserted. She could picture the inside of it as clear as day. The mazes of stairs, hallways that went on and on—everything. Often, she would find herself knocking on the large oak door after school just so she could spend some time with him. She wondered if he ever knew how much he had meant to her. She wondered if he ever noticed that she liked him more than just a friend. It was a feeling that always beckoned her to knock on that same oak door almost every day no matter if he seemed annoyed or not. Just being in his presence was enough to brighten even her most darkened days.

She recalled a day like that. Her father had come by to visit for some reason. She had been mailing her father on and off for years then and finally he had gotten up the courage to come and see her in person. One problem though, he had not told her mom about it. In fact, Jun had no clue that he was coming until he knocked on the door. She had been doing her homework when she heard the knock. After the front door opened, all she could hear were loud, angry fussing—it all seemed very familiar. Those voices at that volume; it was just like it was when she was younger. Really, that was all she could remember of her dad. Had Mom not kept photos of him in the album she might have completely forgotten his appearance. Jun crept downstairs to see what was all the ruckus and there he was. Much older looking, he had gained a little weight, but those baby blue eyes were just the same, so was his smile when he caught sight her peeking out from the stairway. He called out her name and she couldn't help, but start running towards him. Their arguing had stopped. The only thing Jun knew was that they were hugging each other. She remembered his warm hugs.

"I've missed you, daddy."

"I've missed you too."

"Are you gonna' stay?"

"I'm sorry, sweetie, I wish I could, but I can't stay for very long."

"Mommy won't let you stay."

"No. Mommy, can't let me stay."

"I don't understand. I want you to stay so stay."

It was then that he released her. She hadn't wanted the embrace to end, but she grudgingly followed in suit.

"You'll understand when you're older. I just wanted to see you one last time."

It was then that she saw flashing red and blue lights from the corner of her eye. She looked around her father and noticed a police car in the driveway.

"Mommy, why is there police outside? Did something happen?"

"No, honey," Jun's mom said from behind as she pulled her inside. "Roger, you have to leave now."

"Alright, I'm leaving. Jun, take care. I always want you to be happy, remember that, okay."

"Daddy," Jun said suddenly when she saw him turning. Her mom still held on to her.

"It's alright, Jun, Daddy has to leave now," he said when he turned his head towards her.

"Will I see you again? You have to come visit."

"I'll try," he said with a smile, but it was only a sad smile—not the one she was used to.

Jun knew instinctively that something really _was_ wrong. She watched as he moved towards the flashing police car.

"Mommy, why is he going to the police car—he didn't do anything. Mommy, we have to go stop them—they're taking him away! How's he gonna' come visit if he's being taken away!"

She felt herself being turned around as her mom bent down and hugged her tightly. "Shh, shh, it'll be okay. You're daddy had to leave with those people. There's nothing anyone could do about it."

"Why? I don't understand."

"When you're older, honey."

"No, now! Please, tell me."

Her mother was silent for a long while and all they did was hug.

"Just tell me," Jun continued to plead, "Just tell me."

Jun's mom sighed, "I guess you'll have to know sooner or later. Your father…you see he is a very bad man. He couldn't live in this house anymore because he was taken to jail."

"So now he's out."

"He had one last request and the judge decided to honor it."

"And now he's going back to jail?"

"No," Jun's mom said shaking her head slowly. Her eyes were becoming moist. "He'll never go back there. He went to jail for a reason and for that same reason your father will no longer be with us."

"You mean…you can't mean…"

"Yes, I do."

Jun suddenly felt cold and stiff. She could no longer process what her mom was saying. All that she could do was run upstairs, shut the door, and cry and cry and cry. Her mom never came up assuming that her daughter needed some time alone to deal with the news. After crying for hours, she crept out of the house and went to the one place that would make her feel better.

She found herself taking the familiar route to his room once she was admitted into the mansion. This time his door was not closed. All she had to do was walk in. She noticed that he had been reading a book on his bed before she stepped in and made her presence known—an activity she didn't often catch him doing.

"What are you doing here so late?" Kazuya said upon seeing her.

"Kazuya, could you do me a big favor—could you just hold me?"

"What?"

"Hold me. It always makes people feel better when you do that."

"I don't even know what that is."

"Just do it!" Jun said becoming frustrated.

She couldn't stop the tears from coming. She had been able to hold them back long enough so that she could get into the house to make it at least seem like everything was okay, but now all the emotion was coming back like a flood.

"Jun, what's wrong?"

There was far more concern and surprise in his voice than she had ever heard before. She felt alone still, standing there and crying helplessly. She thought he would never come. She began to hate herself for ever coming over—why had she even thought that he could comfort her? And then she felt herself being lifted.

"What are you doing?" Jun asked with a shaky voice.

"I'm…holding you. It makes people feel better, right?"

"No, silly," Jun said with a smile and then she began to laugh. She laughed even more at the confusion on his face—it was priceless. "Are you really going to hold me like this forever?"

"I was just doing you a favor," Kazuya answered back haughtily. "You don't have to keep laughing like that."

Jun found herself falling to the ground and landed on her butt. "Hey, that was rude!"

"I really thought something was wrong and all you can do is laugh at me? What's the meaning of this?"

"Calm down, Kazuya. I'm sorry, alright? It was really cute. That's not what I was talking about, but it was good enough."

"Well?" Kazuya countered roughly, "Are you gonna' tell me why you're here? Or did you just want some entertainment?"

She could plainly tell that the other was blushing so she ignored his tone. "Just family problems," she said slowly.

"Ah," he said simply.

Jun knew it was something that he could relate to easily.

"So you decided to run away. Going across the street—_so_ adventurous," Kazuya said in a mocking tone.

"Oh, shut-up, I'm not running off to some far off land and get myself lost—I'm not that crazy."

"Look, if it's really that bad…then, you can stay here if you like."

"Really? That's really nice."

"There's a lot of unused rooms. I'm sure one of the housemaids could make a room up for you and—

"No, I…want to stay here with you. I don't want to be alone in some big empty room."

"I don't know—

"Oh, come on, there's lots of room on that huge bed of yours."

"Ummm…I'm not sure if—

"Oh, don't worry, I won't bite."

"My grandfather never said anything against that kind of thing, but I'm sure he wouldn't like it."

"Then don't tell him."

"Jun…"  
>"Now, do you want to find out what I meant by holding me. Watch, it's easy."<p>

Jun walked over closer to him and pushed her back against his chest. Without any pretenses, she took hold of his arms and wrapped them around her waist.

"There, that's how you do it."

"Well, how do _you _know?"

"Because I've seen it in movies all the time. I always wanted a guy to hold me like that."

She had felt his body stiffen when she had grabbed his arms so suddenly, but he had not protested and the longer they stood there, the more comfortable he became, she could tell. His previously rapid heartbeats began to calm and he held her more firmly.

"Umm…Jun," Kazuya said nervously.

He tried to push her away, but it was too late because she had already felt it—a very hard and erect body part. When Jun turned to him, he had already turned away.

"Maybe you should get another room," Kazuya said. There was far less authority in his voice than there usually was.

"No! I don't want to be alone!"

"Please, Jun."

"You really gonna' let me walk all the way back home all by myself back to the same place that made me sad? I thought you wanted to help me."

"I do, but—

"Just let me stay with you. I don't care about your—

"Jun!" Kazuya said before she could finish her sentence. It was just too embarrassing and he was blushing profusely.

"My mom told me all about this stuff. You don't have to be scared. I'm not gonna' laugh at you."

There was really nothing she could say to make him turn towards her again that night and there was nothing he could say to make her leave—they were at a stalemate. They stood there for almost eternity until Kazuya spoke up and said that he needed to take a shower so he simply left Jun to her own devices in his room. When she was sure he was gone, she laughed out loud and almost rolled on the floor in a fit of giggles. She hadn't expected as much from him. Then again, she hadn't known what to expect—she just knew that if there was ever a problem, he would somehow be able make her feel better.

She walked over to the light switch and turned it off. She wasn't sure if Kazuya would even come back, but his bed was free as of this moment so she infiltrated it. It was just as soft as she remembered it. It wasn't often that she would have full reign over it—it was often a territory that was off limits. She didn't even need to climb under the covers though she imagined unparalleled comfort resided there. If she was a cat, she might have purred with satisfaction. The center of the bed was the softest, warmest, and obviously the most used location. She spread out her arms and laid flatly there. It didn't take her long to close her eyes in tiredness. She had shed tears a lot that day—it was tiring and his bed was quite enticing. She yawned twice before finally giving in to sleep. She waited for as long as she could for his return, but he hadn't come.

It was in the limbo between consciousness and unconscious when she felt the bed shake a little when another weight was added onto the bed, but she couldn't be sure. In a snap, there was no movement at all. It took her a moment to wrangle herself from sleep then another moment for her ears to pick up the breathing of another—and there were his soft snores, the ones that she remembered. She crept as silently as she could towards his unmoving form and when she was close enough, she laid down on her side and snuggled up against him. She wasn't sure if she had woken the other, but the other appeared largely undisturbed. Even if it was unintentional, his warmth made her feel as if she was in the safest place in the world. No one could harm her. Her emotions were somewhere locked in a lead-lined box and only he had the key and he would give it to no one. She smiled to herself and fell comfortably asleep.

Even now she smiled as an older Jun sat on the steps in utter defeat. There was no way she would ever find him again. She didn't have the faintest clue where to start in the first place. That she was searching for him so hard was silly in itself. It made her look quite desperate. She knew her mom was beginning to worry, but the fact that her mom had not stopped her from her foolhardy mission meant that she understood. She stood up when she could no longer stand to just have memories of him and turned to begin her trek up the porch steps, but something stopped her—a soft voice. Jun turned around to look behind herself.

"Jun…I know your quest."

"Who is it? I can't see you."

"No you cannot. It is up to you if you choose to trust me."

Jun stepped down from the stairs and turned around completely to look at the darkened surroundings. "What's your name at least?"

"I am not allowed to say. Please, follow me."

"But why—

"You are someone who can read a person's soul quite thoroughly. You can sense when there is something wrong. Do you sense that now?"

Jun's eyebrows creased a little, "No, but…"

"Then you know that I am not here to harm you. My job isn't to lead humans astray. I will take you to him if you follow me."

"You mean Kazuya? You'll take me to him?"

"Yes."

"Why are you helping me?"

"I was only sent to help one person, but helping you reaches the same end."

"To help Kazuya, right—that's the one person."

"I've said too much as it is. Please follow me."

"Alright, I will. I guess I'm in no position to fuss. I really have no leads as to where he could be."

"At your pace, it would have been impossible unless by some chance meeting. Follow my presence."

Jun stepped forward uncertainly.

"You have senses beyond that of a normal human. Use them now. That is, if you really want to meet him again."

A look of determination came across her face and she took a deep breath. She took another step and then another step. "My mom used to talk about things like this, but how could I have believed her?"

"Your inability to think outside of the box has handicapped you. Your mother does not possess the kind of skill that you were born with; she would not have helped you much even if you had listened to her."

"What do you mean?"

"Quite the inquisitive one. In due time, I promise. Now is too early. For now, your presence shall be enough."

Jun continued to follow slowly but surely.

"Good, Jun, you're doing well. Exercise your senses, strengthen them. Then perhaps one day, you can discover Kazuya's secret."

"His secret?"

"It is for you to find out, but of your own ability—he will never tell you outright. He will always try to protect you, so it is up to you find out on your own."

"I know you said he would never tell me, but what's wrong with just asking him? I'm sure if I asked enough, he'd finally spill."

"If you want to destroy whatever relationship you have with him, you will do no such thing. You will unintentionally place him into a corner and in his mind he would be forced to separate from you. I know your hearts, neither of you would be whole again. Do not engage him in such questions, do you understand?"

Jun simply nodded.

"You must give me your word."

Jun sighed, "I will not ask about his…secret, whatever it is."

"Good. Only know that it is meant for you to discover, but not like that. I will lead you to a car. Climb in to it. There is no way that you could make it to Kazuya by foot."

"We're going to steal a car?"

"We're going to make use of an abandoned car. It's up ahead."

Sure enough on the side of the road, the car was brown and rusted. She had to tug on the door for a good minute before it actually opened after she could break it free from all the rust. It screeched loudly when the door opened. The inside wasn't half bad, just old-looking. She sat down in the driver's seat uncertainly. The car seemed largely inoperable.

"How am I supposed to—

Suddenly the car was turned on, lights and all.

"Close the door. The car will continue to work as long as you follow me."

"Okay."

If there had been any lingering doubts in Jun's mind, they were gone now. She closed the door as hard as she could and pressed down on the accelerator. To her amazement, the car moved and quite smoothly at that. If it wasn't so rusty, she might have wanted to keep the car.

Before she knew it, she was out on the freeway. She looked at the fuel gauge and saw that it was completely empty. She didn't want to stare at it too long. The contradiction was almost too much to swallow. Already she was listening to some disembodied voice—that's how desperate she had become. Now she was driving in a dilapidating car that she hoped was headed for Kazuya's place.

She drove all night without tiring—something kept her awake. It was strange to say the least. She sensed something was there and followed it, but she didn't know just what was there and why she felt that she could trust it. She decided to stop questioning the impossibility and simply go with it. This was her last chance after all. If she ever wanted to see him again, she had no choice but to follow.

The sun was almost coming up by the time she found herself driving into the parking lot of some dinky hotel.

"Are you sure this is it?" Jun said as she looked at the old building after she stepped out of the car.

"I assure you, this is where he resides. Go to room 24."

"Thank you for all that you've done for me. Without you, I would not have found this place."

"You're not even sure if he's there. You thank me too soon."

"I believe I can trust you."

"Well then, in that case, you're very welcome. Now get going."

Jun walked forth towards the hotel. She didn't have far to go. Judging from the numbers and where they started, he must have been on the second floor. She climbed up the metal steps and walked around the narrow path counting the numbers. 21, 22, 23, 24. There, it was as plain as day. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door. The sun was beginning to peak out further from the horizon as she waited for an answer. Her breath caught in her throat when she heard footsteps and then she tried to prepare herself as the door opened.

For the longest moment, all they could do was stare at one another. When she looked him over, she noticed that a few things had changed. He had gained more muscle. Before, he had been completely wiry, but now he seemed more firm, more full and rounded. It was still something he could hide under a proper jacket, but she could tell that he was still training himself. Aside from that change, he was noticeably taller. If she was measuring it correctly he was almost six feet in height.

"Kazuya," Jun managed as she got her breath back.

"What are you doing here? How did you—

"A little bird told me."

Jun could tell that he didn't like her explanation and he had yet to invite her in. She began to wonder if this was a good idea. Showing up at his doorstep unannounced? Maybe there was some smoother way she could have done this. Just then she began to feel weak. Then she remembered something as she struggled to keep her consciousness—she hadn't actually slept in three days. Now that she was here, now that she had found what she had been looking for. Whatever she had been running on gave out at this moment. She wondered if she had fallen onto the hard concrete or if Kazuya had caught her in time—she wasn't sure about anything until she was able to open her eyes again.

She found herself in a bed that was perhaps the hardest one that ever existed. Her eyes were turned towards the ceiling and it was black as coal and not at all clean. The only light came from the sunrays seeping through the broken blinds.

"Kazuya?" she said weakly.

There was no response. She sat up slowly in the bed and finally took a good look at her surroundings. It was cleaner than she expected. Everything seemed to be in proper order as much as it could be in such a cramped space. All she could hear, now that she took notice, was the water running in the shower. She knew that it had to be him. She suddenly found herself trying to straighten her clothes out so as to look somewhat presentable. She looked around for a mirror and went to it to make sure her hair was alright. She combed her hands through a few times before she was vaguely satisfied and went back to sitting on the bed in a position that would not mess up her clothes or hair.

It felt like an eternity when the water was turned off and another eternity before he even stepped out of the bathroom. She didn't expect to see him completely naked and he hadn't expected her to be awake. Jun was clearly shocked, but Kazuya was far less bothered by it than Jun had expected. His clothes were near and he simply put them on. She wondered if he even knew that she was awake, though there'd be no way of mistaking it, she was clearly sitting up.

"You finally decided to wake up," Kazuya said as he walked over to the only seat left in the room that wasn't the bed.

"Wait, how long—

"Three days."

"Three days? Oh my god, I have to get back home—I have to start packing. I…"

"It seems like it took a lot just to get here. You sure you want to leave so soon?"

"Yeah, it did. You have no idea."

"I have some idea. After hogging my bed for three days, I think I have some inkling."

"I wasn't hogging it. You could have…"

"What? Climb into bed with someone who hardly knows where they are? I doubt it. The bed was yours for as long as you could stand it."

"It is kind of hard."

"One gets used to it."

"This room is kind of small."

"It's not something I would be bothered by."

Jun sighed, "I'm just glad you're safe."

"I'm not safe."

"What do you mean? Someone's after you? That's why you have to hide in this hotel?"

"No, that's not what I mean. I told you not to come visit yet here you are. I tell you one thing and you do another."

"I see; you don't want me here."

"If I didn't want you here, I would have left you out there in the cold."

"Well, obviously you felt sorry for me, I guess you had no choice."

"Sorry, my mind doesn't work like yours. I don't 'feel sorry' for others, but I would never let harm come to you and obviously a girl like you in a place like this by yourself would not have been safe."

"Right, I forgot. You couldn't possibly do something out of charity," Jun said with sarcasm. "We have a lot of catching up to do and I hardly have any time left before I have to leave."

Kazuya grinned at this, "How exactly are you going to get back home if you're in such a rush?"

"I drove here in a car."

"What car? I didn't see yours outside just some rusty heap that hadn't been there before."

What could she tell him? That that rusty car was responsible for her transportation? "I…well…" there was no point in lying about it, "That rusty car out there. It might look like it doesn't work, but when you turn it on, it works really smoothly."

"It might have worked somehow before, but there's no engine and it doesn't look like there's been one for some time."

"What—were you specifically checking out that car the whole time? It wasn't bothering anything."

"No, all I had to do was glance over at it once and deduce as much. You do realize that there is no hood where the engine should have been. Like I said, pile of junk. How do you plan on getting back?"

"What do you want me to say?"

"Try telling me the truth."

"It's not like _you've _been completely open with me," Jun retorted, but she bit her tongue. She had promised that voice that she wouldn't try to pressure him into telling her something that he didn't want to.

"You're right," Kazuya said much to Jun's surprise, "I was overstepping my boundaries."

Jun didn't like the "boundaries" she was beginning to see between. What of all that progress they had made before? Where had it gone? It was as if they had grown apart. In fact, he felt more like a stranger than anything else. Here in this strange, foreign setting with a voice that was practically unrecognizable from the one she knew—she almost didn't know who she was talking to. She wished she could say that he hadn't changed at all, but that just wasn't true.

"No, you were just concerned. I'll be alright."

"I know you will. You can go back to doing something you love."

"That isn't _all_ that I love."

"Look, Jun, when will you learn? We live in two separate worlds. Before when we were younger, it was disguised, we lived across the street from one another, but I was never fooled. You don't belong here with me even you have to be able to sense that. I can't go where you go and you can't stay here."

"No," she said shaking her head, "Nothing has to be set in stone. You could come with me away from this place. This isn't you, I know it."

"Then you don't know me very well at all. If you're on a tight schedule, I suggest you leave now. It takes quite a few hours to get back to your place."

"Kazuya, why don't you just come with me?" Jun looked around the small room, "You really _don't_ belong here."

Kazuya placed his face into his palms as if he was stressed. "How long has it been since you left for your education?"

"Four years. It's only been four years."

"A lot can happen in that time. I used to believe in some bright future and now that you're here, you've reminded me of that, but it doesn't do anyone any good to fantasize about something that wasn't meant to happen. I told you I've been busy—I wasn't lying really. Tomorrow, I'll have some place I need to be and I suspect that tomorrow, you too need to be on that plane to take you back to your school."

"Kazuya," Jun said as she climbed off of the uncomfortable bed. She approached him cautiously and then wrapped her arms around him, "I'm sorry for not being there. I really am."

His muscles felt quite tense as she did this and it did not change the entire time. She was standing up and he was still sitting down. At this point, she was at a higher position and his head was at the level of her stomach.

"There's no use apologizing for something you had no control over."

"It's just my way. I thought you knew by now—I can't help it."

"Jun trying to fix the world again, I see. You'll burn yourself out at this rate."

"You're one to be talking. Four years is a long time—I know you couldn't resist training at some gym like a maniac especially when there's no longer any restraint. I'll never know where you get all the energy for it." By this time, Kazuya's arms had come around her waist and he had spread his legs out a little to allow her to come closer.

"Well, from the same place you get your inspiration to work with animals all the time."

"I suppose," Jun said thoughtfully. "Can I stay here with you?"

"Jun—

"Just for the night and then you can drive me back home so I can get my luggage."

"I'll take you to the airport."

"Really? You will? I thought you were in a rush."

"Not so much that I can't take you to a simple airport."

"Let's go somewhere."

"Now?"

"Yeah. We're not just going to stay in here for the rest of the day, right? Let's do something."

"Like what?"

"I don't know what's around here."

"Fine, I have an idea."

Kazuya stood up again to his full height and took her by the hand as he led her forth.

"Wait, where are we going?"

"I haven't decided yet. Whichever place is closer."

"Which is?"

"I'm sure you'll appreciate it more as a surprise."

"Alright, lead the way, mister."

They passed a few haggard looking residents all of which gave her disturbing looks—a few of them licked their lips. However, they straightened up when Kazuya glared menacingly at them. In fact, many scurried off like rats. A few braver ones stood their grounds, but made no advances towards her.

"I guess it _is_ a little dangerous out here," Jun said in quiet tones towards Kazuya as they climbed down the steep metal stairs.

"You're a master at understatements. They'd have raped you without a second thought given the chance."

"What? They were just looking at me funny."

"I'm sure they had the purest of intentions."

Jun was surprised to see the state of Kazuya's car—it was the only thing that even hinted at how much money he really had. Then again, it was the car given to him by Jinpachi. He hadn't actually bought it himself, but he could do so if he ever wanted to. It was a red lotus, very clean and sparkling.

"Okay, how exactly has no one ripped you off? You can't have a car like that at a place like this," Jun said with surprise.

"The people around here know better than to try and do that. Jump in."

The sun was quite high then and Jun found that she didn't want to be anyplace else as they sped down the street. She had no idea where they were going, but she no longer cared.

_I wish this day would never end._

/

AN: Looks like I'll be breaking this into two chapters everyone. This is a lot longer than I expected. Oh and fun fact, Kazuya's room number corresponds to his age at this point.

As for more fire, asdfqwerty, probably won't get that until Tekken 2 which is just around the corner timeline wise. MishimaLars, I'll definitely keep that in mind in the future chapters.


	30. Until Next Time

Chapter 30: Until Next Time

There was an amusement park that Kazuya had rightly assumed that Jun would like. She just couldn't seem to go on any of the big rides without Kazuya sitting right next to her—not that he minded much. Going at such a high speed was exhilarating for Kazuya. In fact, it might have been possible that he was enjoying himself more than Jun. She was visibly winded each time, but Kazuya always seemed ready for more.

"You daredevil," Jun accused the other after they got off one of such rides, "I gotta' sit down somewhere."

"No one's forcing you to go on them. You're just a glutton for punishment."

Jun only gave him a side-glance as she trudged off to a place that was selling food and had a place to sit. Kazuya followed after her.

"You know, you didn't have to pay for those tickets—it was really expensive," Jun said after Kazuya caught up to her.

"You just can't resist worrying about things. Don't worry, it's not like I have nothing to spend. If I could, I would spend the rest of everything I had on you."

"Oh, Kazuya—don't do anything crazy like that. You still have to live, right?"

"I am, right now. You could go on however many rides you like."

"You'll come with me, right?"

"Of course. Wouldn't want you to catch a heart attack. Although, I noticed you had no trouble with those teacups."

"Pfft, please; I'm an adventure-seeker. I had to upgrade from all that kiddy stuff."

"Right. Why don't you just take it easy? You want some food?"

"If I eat now, I won't be able to go back on those rides without getting sick."

"Well then, don't ride them."

"But you like them, right?"

"You're impossible, you know that? Just for a moment, could you think about yourself?"

"Isn't that what you're here for?" Jun responded with a small smile.

"You stay right here, then. I'll be back with some food."

She hadn't even seen him smile the entire time, but she knew that he must have been a good mood, a far better mood than earlier that day. In her mind, this was a date even if neither of them dared to say it aloud. It was quite obvious. When only one person was doing all the spending and insisted on doing it, then it automatically became a date. In order for them to have been going on a date, then they had to be in some kind of relationship. Surely, they were grown-up enough to discuss at least the fact that they were more than friends. But Jun never got up the courage to say as much the entire time even after he came back with the food and they ate together.

They went to the booths next where Kazuya found that Jun was just as bad at aiming as she was with handling big rollercoasters. Kazuya watched with amusement.

"Well I'm glad _someone's_ having fun. I can't win anything. How 'bout you try it?"  
>"And you think that I've suddenly become an excellent marksmen?"<p>

"What's wrong? Scared? Don't want to make a fool of yourself?"

"Fine, I'll do it, if you plan on going on like that."

Kazuya took up the small ball and after a moment of eyeing the target—a plastic bottle—he went for it. He missed it entirely in fact, but he had thrown it so hard that bounced back from the board behind and managed to hit it straight on. The bottle flew out and Jun had to dodge it.

"Woh, you really are an excellent marksmen. You planned that!" Jun exclaimed.

"Sure, I totally planned that."

The ball, however, was nowhere to be found.

"Umm…sir does that count?" Jun asked the person presiding over the booth.

"Oh, fine, what the heck. Take your pick, little lady."

"Really?"

"Yep. That's the best hit I've seen all day."

"I want that big teddy bear."

"Okay," the man said reaching over to get it out from behind the glass case. "Here you go."

The bear was almost taller than Jun, but she hugged it all the same.

"Here," Jun said to Kazuya as she handed it over to him, "My gift to you."

"What?" Kazuya asked caught by surprise.

"It's for you, take it. You did win it after all."

When Jun was sure Kazuya was holding it she let go of it.

"Is it okay if I give it back to you?" Kazuya asked after a moment.

It was impossible to see his face now what with all the bear.

"No, I don't want it 'cus I gave it to you."

"Ah, Jun, what am I going to do with this?"

"Keep it, of course. That way, you'll have something to remember me by."

"Jun, of course I'm going to remember you. You don't have to give me this."

"Too late. It's already done."

"Fine. I'll stuff it somewhere."

"You better not lose it, Kazuya."

"I won't. I'll keep it in a safe place."

"Right, tell me anything."

By then, Kazuya had tucked it under his arm so that he could see her properly. It was hard to tell if he was lying or just saying things to make her shut-up about it.

"You gonna' stand there all day? Didn't you want to try the one with the water guns?"

"Oh, yeah, let's go already."

Jun was already running off and Kazuya was busy trying to keep up with her while lugging the unwieldy bear. At some point, he simply put it over his back and held on to its paws over his shoulders. The bear would be granted a nice piggyback ride for the time being. Kazuya watched as Jun aimed and missed almost all the shots she had with the water gun—it was just as amusing as last time.

"Jun, do me a favor and never become a cop—you're a horrible shot," Kazuya said after nearly half an hour passed and she had not improved in the least. "How long you want to keep on losing?"

"Oh, shut-up, I'm getting better."

"Keep telling yourself that."

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be supportive?"

"Why would I support something you obviously can't do? Come on, Jun, let's try something else."

"Have you seen these booths lately? All of them have to do with aiming."

"Not that one," Kazuya said pointing towards the one that consisted of a hammer and a bell.

"Oh, no, I'm not going for that one."

"Never know, might be better than you think."

"Alright, I'll try it out just once."

"Just once? I thought you were more stubborn than that."

Jun glared at the other and then walked off to where Kazuya had been looking. He followed in suit.

"Here goes, Kazuya," Jun said as she picked up the rubber hammer.

Kazuya could tell that she put a lot of strength into her downward thrust. It came as no surprise to him as the bell all the way at the top of the meter rung as clear as day.

"Oh my gosh, I did, I did it! What do I win?" Jun asked excitedly to the guy who seemed to be in charge of the prizes.

"Please, not another bear," Kazuya warned.

"I want that slinky."

Kazuya didn't really care what it was she got as long as it wasn't a teddy bear. The two of them stayed at the amusement park for the majority of the day—Jun had to try every single thing that was there and she would not be satisfied otherwise. Though he enjoyed the fact that Jun was enjoying herself, he still was relieved when he finally could convince her to go elsewhere, someplace quieter with less people.

"Wow, that was so fun, I could stay there forever."

"Unfortunately, it doesn't stay open forever," Kazuya replied as they walked out into the parking lot.

"Where else are we going?"  
>"You really do like adventure. I guess I have one other place in mind. I think you'll like it."<p>

"Is it a surprise?"

"It's a surprise. It's always better that way."

Kazuya was glad only that he could keep a smile on her face. He hadn't thought he was up for the job when she had first suggested going somewhere, but so far he had proved himself wrong. Perhaps Jun was far easier to please than he first thought. He glanced over at her when she noticed the sign that came into view as he eased into the parking lot. She was quite surprised.

"It's a botanical garden. Oh, I always wanted to go to one."

"Now you can."

"I wish I had my camera."

There was far less people here than there had been at the amusement park. Being that it was night time, there were even fewer people, but the garden itself was still open. Jun once again tried to gauge how much money it would take for two people to gain entry into the garden and it was just as expensive as the other place. This time, however, Jun made no comments about it. Kazuya seemed quite willing to pay for all of it.

It was quite magical especially at night time. The blooming flowers seemed to have a glow of their own. Jun found herself pointing out many of them and explaining their properties. Before she knew it, she was practically giving the other a botany lecture. She might have stopped herself if he hadn't seemed quite as interested as he did at the moment. He would pepper her with questions whenever it seemed that she was unsure of where to start or where to continue. She remembered all the other dates she had been on, but they had hardly been like this and she certainly wasn't the one doing the most talking. Near the end of the decidedly huge garden there was yet another place to sit. There was a large central wooden pole that ran up to the ceiling and was filled with green vines that curled all around it. An octagonal bench was placed around this central area. It was here that they decided to take a seat.

Moonlight filtered through from the foliage above. The night was alive with the sounds of small wildlife. Now that a silence had fallen upon the two of them, the sounds became far more prevalent. Jun found that she didn't mind the silence. Just being in his presence was enough. She laid back upon his lap and she found herself falling asleep. Under normal circumstances, it'd be almost impossible to fall asleep in a place completely foreign to her, but for some reason with Kazuya there, that no longer mattered. She felt his hands upon her. For as long as she had known him, she had not known him to be so touchy-feely. He had always kept a respectful distance and it was she who would have to breech the distance barrier. Whenever she did, he never seemed to mind so she would continue to do so as she did this night, but he had never responded in this manner. She felt herself blushing as she felt his hand run down the length of her bare legs in a rhythmic manner. At first, he was only on the lower half of her legs and he slowly edged his way up to her thighs, but he stopped there as if he thought better of it and returned to his previous position. It was rather cool outside and Kazuya seemed more like a furnace—his hands were equally so.

"How do you like it?" Kazuya asked cutting through the silence.

For a moment, Jun was confused as to what he was referring to, but then she realized that he was talking about her trip to the botanical gardens. She looked up at him, but his eyes seemed to be on something else besides her. She wondered if he realized that she had been falling asleep a few moments ago.

"It's nice. Especially at night time. Is that why you took me here?"

"Well, it seemed like something you would appreciate."

"I'm guessing you wouldn't come here on your own."

Kazuya was silent for a long time to the point that Jun did not think he would respond but he surprised her.

"Contrary to popular belief, fighting isn't all that I do."

"That's nice to know. Maybe I don't have to worry about you so much."

"You just can't help yourself."

Jun smiled briefly at this. "Kazuya, come with me."

"Not this again."

"I don't know how I could bear being away from you for this long. Now that I see you again…I know it sounds ridiculous to you, I know that sometimes I can be a burden, but it would mean a lot to me if I could see you more often."

"No, it doesn't sound ridiculous," he said taking a deep breath. "Cherish these moments that we have together. I doubt they would come very often."

"Why do you say that? What if I came back every holiday?"

"Where I go you cannot. I don't want you anywhere near. You might not like it, but that is the way it should be."

"Now who's the one who's worried? Are you trying to not hurt my feelings? I'm not just some little girl who needs to be protected."

"Well, you're certainly not 'little' anymore."

From the way he said this, Jun found herself blushing once again. When she looked up, this time she saw that he was staring down at her. She might have melted right there had she been made out of butter.

"It's getting late," Kazuya said after a moment. "Would hate to see bags on that beautiful face of yours."

She was caught off guard by the compliment and it did little to ease her blushing. He must have seen this because she could already see the beginnings of a smirk crease his face.

"Let's just stay a little while longer. It really is pretty here."

Really, she didn't feel like giving up her comfortable position in his lap. The coolness of the outside was just enough for her to appreciate the warmth radiating from Kazuya. She wasn't sure when she fell asleep or when she had gotten back to Kazuya's place, but the next morning, she awoke to the light of the sun flowing through partially open blinds.

"Kazuya…?" Jun asked as soon as she sat up.

She looked down at the bed beside her and saw that it had recently been slept in. A smile came to her face as the front door opened. Immediately she was greeted with the smell of breakfast food.

"I hope you haven't been waiting long. I didn't want to wake you until the last minute."

"No…I just woke up."

Kazuya closed the door behind himself and set the food on the table next to her.

"Well, if we plan on getting you home soon enough so that you can have some time to pack, we'll have to leave in thirty minutes."

"Alright, let me go wash off a little."

Jun watched as the other went to a drawer to take out a fresh wash cloth and as he gave it to her to use. She went through everything in a kind of daze. Everything seemed so surreal. It wasn't often that she woke to Kazuya bringing her breakfast—she hadn't wanted any of it to end. It wasn't often that she knew Kazuya to be in such a good mood—at least she sensed that he was.

She sat down on the bed beside him and ate a quick breakfast with him and then they climbed into his luxurious car and sped off to her house that ordinarily would have been two hours away. However, they made it a half an hour earlier. Jun soon rushed into the house and quickly through her luggage together. Luckily, she had only brought one roller luggage so she didn't have too many things to put back into it. She said her goodbyes to her startled mom, kissed her once and made her way back out to Kazuya's waiting car.

"I'll remember to call you more!" Jun called out to her mom as the car was backing out of the driveway.

Jun could tell that her mom's eyes were on the driver. Jun was sure her mom had a lot of questions on her lips but Jun didn't allow her enough time to ask them before she was gone from sight once again. She really was planning on calling her mom more often; she deserved that for all she had done for her.

"You really are a reckless driver," Jun commented as she glanced over at the speedometer.

"You don't want to be late do you?"

"Well, I don't want to be in an accident either."

"Don't worry—that won't happen."

"I know."

Kazuya only glanced over at her briefly and then returned his eyes to the road. She was really going back. She was really returning to the world that she had come to accept as her new life. All of this would again seem like a dream. Sometimes she would lie in bed and wonder if Kazuya even existed. He would be there one moment warm and comforting and the next moment there would be this large gaping hole in her life that she'd have to pretend wasn't there at all. Was there really a guy out there that could make her melt with a simple compliment? It wasn't as if no one else had said something similar. When he said it, however…it meant much more to her. Did he even realize…She found her eyes on him again. She had no pictures of him; she had nothing to remember him by besides the times that they had spent together.

She wanted the airport to be far, far away so that they would never have to part. However despite her wishing, the airport came into view and her heart dropped. The car drove closer and closer to their destination and Jun averted her eyes until they stopped in the parking lot. Slowly, she got out of the car and went to the backseat and took out her luggage. She began to roll it towards the curb, but before she got to it she was stopped by Kazuya. He had gotten out of the car as well and locked the door. Was he planning to see her off? She smiled lightly at him. He wore a serious expression—it gave her no clue to what he would do next. He came up to her closer and then lifted her up easily in his arms. The hand that held the luggage, released it immediately.

"What are you doing?" Jun asked in a surprised voice.

"I'm holding you. It makes people feel better," Kazuya's voice rumbled softly in her ear.

Tears sprang to her eyes as her mind flashed back to the moment that he had been referring to. It had been so long ago, it seemed, but now it was as if it had happened just yesterday. He wasn't quite as naïve as he had been before and he spoke those words in such a way in her ears—she knew that it had meant something more.

No, she didn't want to leave him once again that day, but she did.

/

AN: Sorry for the wait, readers. I've been way too busy to type anything for a long time and I'm only back briefly. I'll try to come out with another chapter soon, but don't count on it until after finals two weeks from now. Anyways, stay tuned. I predict two to three more chapters before I finally start on Tekken 2. I can't wait and I know you're just sitting on the edge of your seats with impatience for it. Maybe by the time I get to Tekken 6, there'll already be a Tekken 7. Who knows?


	31. A Fight to Remember

Chapter 31: A Fight to Remember

This time it was America he was off to. It was a rather prominent tournament, but Kazuya wasn't overly concerned. He had been to other tournaments of such caliber and they had all ended the same. He touched down in the city that the tournament would occur and immediately took a cab to the nearest hotel. The price didn't matter only it's vicinity to the tournament. He'd rather be within walking distance to avoid as much extra transportation costs as possible.

There were places to eat nearby and even two different gyms that were practically across the street from each other. Yes, the tournament was just around the corner. In a few weeks, in fact. He had come early because he had judged that getting a hotel so nearby would be impossible otherwise. Apparently, he had been correct. Everywhere he looked he observed an unnatural number of physically fit men, obvious contestants in the coming tournament, but he made no comments towards them. The two gyms, he knew, would be packed with those trying to show off or more like congregate.

It was the same everywhere—packed gyms and suspiciously high prices at nearby restaurants and other eateries. There was money to be made and vendors knew that they were dealing with a crowd who could clean out an entire restaurant if they weren't prepared or had prices that deterred buying so much food at one sitting. Luckily for Kazuya, even after paying far too much for the hotel room, price was still not an obstacle.

Kazuya remembered the first time he had went to a tournament of this kind. It only took one time for him to better prepare himself in the future. He had been practically homeless. There were two things that he had to worry about—a place to sleep and money enough to obtain some food. He had been forced to forgo the former. Sure he had acquired a bit of a laughing stock, but he had wiped the smiles off their faces as soon as the tournament came to a close. He had had just enough money to get back to Japan. That was the first and last time he would leave himself so vulnerable again. There would be no laughing stocks this time. There was still the painful language barrier, but he was not a conversationalist and he knew enough English to get by.

Kazuya had no inclinations to go to the gym when it was in the state that it was. He opted instead to go walking about—sightseeing if you will. As long as he took note of what direction he took, he could manage to find his way back quite easily. The thought of asking someone for direction was enough to make Kazuya keep an even sharper eye out for where he travelled.

Everything was noisier here, not with people, but with cars. It was as if everyone had one. On a day like this so near the weekend, the roadways were quite congested. The area was so urban that Kazuya hardly expected a grand park to be nearby. He hardly walked a mile before he came upon it. Already tiring of the urban scenery, he made his way down the path that led to it and was presented with an entirely new world as if the city was miles away, but in reality it was just a stone's throw away. He could hear the cars and traffic in the distance, but it was muffled now and negligible.

He was thinking about nothing in particular as he followed the path deeper and deeper into the park. The quietness became so intense that the sound of shouting voices startled him out of his reverie. His pace slowed considerably and as curiosity got the better of him, he moved towards where he heard the new noise. There was a small area almost completely surround by thick bushes except for the space that served as an entrance into the field. Through the bushes he spied three capable looking fighters. One, Kazuya knew immediately—Chaolan Lee—but the other two were completely foreign to him. He watched for a little bit, they were obviously engaged in a spar with one another. The muscular looking blond man stood off to the side and Lee and a man of Chinese descent were locked in combat. Kazuya found himself watching for longer than he thought he would. He thought he might pass them by so as not to start anything, but instead he walked from behind the bushes to get a better view of it. The two men fought with such intensity that it was hard to simply ignore. He began to wonder if this was indeed a spar or something else altogether. When first blood was drawn, Kazuya thought they might call it quits, but they kept going.

Kazuya almost didn't notice the approach of the blond man. When he did, it was too late to carry on down the path—it must've been obvious that he had been watching by then.

"Hey you, you wouldn't happen to be a contestant as well?" the blond man questioned upon reaching him.

Kazuya only caught the "contestant" part of that sentence. He simply nodded once sensing that he must have been asked a question.

"Hm, like what you see? You haven't even seen half of what they could do, but you seem like a tough enough guy. I would spar with you, but I would hate to scare off my competition."

Kazuya only stared at the other with an unfathomable expression.

"You don't talk much, huh? Are you here alone?" The man waited for the other to respond, but then continued when the other didn't. "Here, let me show you to my friends—promise they won't bite."

By this time, the blond man had concluded that the other must be on the slow side. He decided that he would take up the other's hand to guide him forward, but it did not end well. When the blond man grabbed for Kazuya's hand, he found himself face first on the ground.

"Holy smokes, _that's_ some quick reflexes," the man exclaimed while still on the ground. It took him a moment to gather himself back up again. There was new light in his eyes when he looked at Kazuya, "This tournament is gonna' be fun."

"Hey, Paul, quit foolin' around with strangers—you're supposed to be keeping score," said one of the two fighters in the distance.

Paul—the blond man who had been trying to converse with Kazuya—turned to the person who had called him; so did Kazuya.

"Nevermind that, I think we've just found ourselves a new spar partner, Marshall."

"What?"

"His reflexes are incredible, I bet he'd be a match even for you. Although, he doesn't talk much…"

Kazuya only watched the two of them exchange a few words. He noticed Lee as well looking at him now with a strange look on his face. Could it be that he could not recognize him. Lee stepped a few yards in front of Marshall and his eyes narrowed. By now Kazuya was looking directly at Lee waiting for the other one to say something.

"Kazuya?" Lee said at last.

"Wait, you know this guy, Lee?" Paul asked incredulously.

"Yeah, sort of," Lee said offhandedly as he approached the two. "What are you doing here?" Lee asked directly to Kazuya in a language he knew quite well.

"For the same thing as you—participate in the tournament."

"I'm not actually a contestant, you know. If you came here out of some kind of revenge—

"You're the furthest from my mind—insignificant. The fact that you're here is a mere coincidence. I've gone all around the world going to such tournaments—if you went to just one of them, we were bound to cross each other's path."

"So _this_ is what you've been doing with your time. Ever since I left for college…this. Kazuya, I heard about your grandfather—

"Save it. I don't need your sympathy. It's old news anyways."

"But how have you been managing without him? I know we ended on bad terms, but we're adults now perhaps we could start over."

"It's impossible."

"Kazuya, now—

"The past is dead to me. It's a shame you're not a contestant, however, it would have made my day. Why are _you_ here if not to fight?"

Lee sighed deeply, "These are my friends Paul Phoenix and Marshall Law. Paul wanted to test his skills at a nearby tournament and we tagged along. At the moment, we're just doing some sparring to kill the time. You can watch if you'd like, if you have nothing better to do."

Kazuya shook his head once, "I've seen enough. It seems you've kept up your training as well."

"You can thank those guys—otherwise I would have had nothing to do with fighting anymore."

"I see."

"I wish you well in the tournament. Paul might not look it, but he's a powerful fighter—watch out for him."

"I'll keep that in mind," Kazuya said turning, "Well, I'll let you get back to your sparring."

Kazuya walked until he could no longer feel the eyes of Lee on him, then he walked a little quicker. He hadn't thought he'd ever run into Lee again. Lee was educated and involved in a world completely separate from his yet here he was. It was funny how things worked themselves out.

/

The cries of the screaming fans were deafening. The crowd wanted to see blood, they wanted to see carnage, but most of all, they wanted to see a good fight and Kazuya would not disappoint. The tournament itself dragged on for an entire week. Fighters were given less than a day to recover from their fights, but none forfeited. This tournament seemed to attract the more tenacious contestants. Every promised fight occurred—no back outs. It was thrilling to say the least. As it drew closer and closer to the final fight, the crowd grew more and more insane. At this point, the security guards had to step in to calm them before they caused injury to themselves.

Kazuya who hated the very idea of being around too many people found it to be strangely euphoric. When he heard the shouts of the crowd sometimes even chanting his name, his blood pumped fiercely. He'd play around with his enemies letting them think that they had some chance of winning and then he would end them immediately on the second round. He taunted and angered his contestant mercilessly and then he would crush them. That was how much of the tournament was done for Kazuya at least. Really, Kazuya could finish off his opponent in thirty seconds, but the crowd wanted to see some type of show so he would draw things out.

It was no question that Kazuya would make it to the final fight. The real question was, who would be fighting against him. Kazuya stepped out into the arena. If he had been listening to the announcer all along, he might have known that his opponent was none other than Paul Phoenix. He knew soon enough when he saw the blond man with the funny haircut.

"So it's you!" Paul cried out to the other with an excitement that stuck Kazuya as odd. "I knew it'd come to this—I have a good eye for talent."

Kazuya said nothing back to him partially because he could barely understand him and simply moved into his fighting stance. Seeing that Kazuya was already preparing himself, Paul did the same with a determined look on his face. He knew that this fight would be far more difficult than all the others.

Paul was the aggressor in the first round so much so that Kazuya was forced to be on the defensive. Paul's punches came from everywhere—he was for lack of a better word, energetic in Kazuya's opinion. Just when he thought he could get in a hit edgewise—Paul was there to attack him once again. Paul was much faster than he let on—and his strength, well that was something else altogether. More than once, Kazuya found himself on the ground. He'd have to leap back to his feet quickly before Paul could overtake him. After the first round, Kazuya grew more aggressive out of frustration and the fact that he hadn't planned on losing this tournament. Blood had already been drawn, but Kazuya drew more of it from Paul. He didn't hold back his strength any longer—Kazuya's punches became devastating. Uppercut, side punches, and swirling kicks all came down like a hailstorm upon the hapless Paul. Even then, Paul was able to retaliate, but Kazuya remained relentless. He became a stone wall. Paul still was able to slide in a few fist attacks, but Kazuya seemed largely unaffected.

The fight went on and on and on. By the time the fight was ended due to the time limit being expired for more than thirty minutes, it was hard to choose a winner.

The screams and shouts from the crowd were earsplitting, Kazuya could no longer hear. The announcer's voice echoed just barely over the noise. The only words Kazuya wanted to hear were "winner" and his name. Well, he heard "winner", but it was not followed by his name or anyone's name. There was an explanation afterwards, Kazuya could tell. Then he heard a word that instantly brought a frown to his face: "draw". Kazuya couldn't believe it, the match, no, the entire tournament had ended in a draw. How could this be?

"_I_ won!" Kazuya shouted up to the high position of the announcer. Even though he knew it was impossible for anyone to hear him or understand him, he couldn't help himself, "I won!" he repeated, "His skill is nowhere near mine!"

Kazuya looked across to Paul who by then had realized that he had been saying something and had started to approach him. Kazuya could only glower at him. Paul was stony faced; whatever look Kazuya could give him, it would not stop his advance.

"I'm the man who will be the strongest in the world—to think that there is someone out there who can match my skill…Mark my words, I'll have my rematch and I'll show you who the better one is."

"You are loser," Kazuya managed to say in English, "I am winner."

"Keep dreaming! I'm the strongest. You understand that, Kazuya? _I'm_ stronger."

Kazuya recognized a threatening tone and he responded accordingly. He grabbed the nape of Paul's karate gi and was about to thrust him to the ground when he felt a nice solid punch smash into the side of his face. Surprised, Kazuya simply let the other fall from his grasp, but he couldn't simply let Paul get away with it. Before Paul could even get up again, Kazuya pressed his foot upon his chest. Paul struggled to get from under it by trying to remove Kazuya's hold, but it did not work. A fight might have broken out once again had security not came out to stop them. It took five quite burly men to drag Kazuya away, but after a few yards of being pulled back, Kazuya broke away from them with a fierce shove, straightened himself and trudged away off the arena stage—he had had enough of all of it. He would not be made a fool in front of so many people.

He had no idea what happened to Paul afterwards, he just knew that he never wanted to see his face again; he was certain that he would not be able to stop himself from beating him to a bloody pulp if he did.

/

Sometimes it could take some time for Kazuya's temper to subside. The kind of anger that he had experienced at the tournament took a few hours of pounding something repeatedly until it disintegrated under the pressure. He was unaware of anyone else watching him do this at the gym. Hardly anyone came to the gym right after a big tournament. Kazuya had been counting on this for privacy. He looked up when he heard footsteps. There was Lee who had just come through the entrance to the room.

"What do you want?" Kazuya questioned Lee before the other could say anything.

"You said you've gone all over the world participating in tournaments—I thought I might tell you about one you might be interested in."

"Just spit it out, I don't have time to hear you beat around the bush."

"Alright then, it's called The King of Iron Fist Tournament hosted by the head of the Mishima Zaibatsu."

"Where?" Kazuya asked abruptly.

"In Japan, of course. You'll fit in a lot better there. And Kazuya, Paul will be there as well."

"I don't care about 'Paul'. I have my eyes on a better goal."

"Don't tell me; Heihachi, right? You're so amazingly predictable even after all these years."

"Isn't that why you came here to tell me about that tournament?"

"I just…wanted you to find some peace. It always seemed like you had a bone to pick with your father. Perhaps if you can get it over with already, you could move on. You can't live your life solely to get revenge on one person."

If only Lee knew, that it was indeed possible to do such a thing—Kazuya had been doing it for years now. The only reason he was alive at all was for that very same reason: revenge. Vengeance gave him life, vengeance _was_ his life and instead of fighting against it or trying to convince himself that there must have been more to it; he simply accepted that fact. With that acceptance came the realization that he was just a ticking time bomb, just a tool for Devil to use—a good one at that. Because of that, he kept everyone at a distance. He chose consciously not to show kindness to anyone, not to show that a heart existed there small and forgotten. The exception, of course, being Jun, but even with her, he still kept her at some kind of distance with all his might. He knew the consequences if he did anything else besides.

He looked at Lee and simply grinned, then continued demolishing the punching bag in front of him.

/

AN: huannguyen mentioned the fact that Jun hasn't been training. First of all, thanks for reminding me, I totally forgot about that. Good news, though, Jun doesn't actually appear in the first Tekken Tournament so I still have some time to show that she has in fact been training—besides, Jun is someone who needs a specific reason to fight and that reason hasn't come yet. Anyways, I'd like to say that I've finally finished my finals and it's summer break for me. While I still have summer classes to take, I have significantly more time to update this and other stories I have on fan fiction.


	32. At the Tournament

Chapter 32: At the Tournament

Hearing about the tournament had been the first step. The sign-up process was one of the most strenuous set-ups Kazuya had been through. Some tournaments only required that money was paid by a certain time. Some tournaments had prerequisites of other tournaments one must have attended and fared fairly well in. Still others that were more elite, required that one's skills be put to the test and along with that a hefty amount of entrance fee. The tournament that Heihachi was hosting was exactly like this except the skill testing took all of three days to complete perhaps even longer if the official judges still were on the fence. The weak ones were quickly weeded out this way. In the first place, thousands of would-be contestants signed up, then they were all put through a "pre"tournament if you will. It wasn't a true tournament. The ones who signed up did not fight each other, but by individuals who were hired to face each one of them. Where Heihachi found these men and women was another question altogether. All that was necessary to know was that they were all professional fighters and quite skilled at what they did. Before the process even began, these professional fighters were assigned the people who they were to face because they would often have to face up to four people; ample time was given to them to recover after each fight—that was the main reason the entire thing could take up to a full month to finish. Those who signed up were only promised that their pre-fight would be set before the tournament began if time allowed, but that was all—they were largely left in the dark until they were finally given a letter that detailed the time and place this fight would happen. As one could imagine, those with more qualifications were given precedence. Because of the sheer number of people who signed up for this tournament, those who had never attended a tournament before would be lucky to even be accepted.

Getting a letter in the mail that verified that a pre-fight was set was almost like getting a golden ticket. Winning the pre-fight was another story. It was step two of the process. One could never be sure if they would be faced with one or two fights depending on how the judges felt. Deliberations would be done on the spot in ten minutes time. Right then and there, the fighter's fate would be decided. After this, if they passed the skills test, they truly would be given a "golden" ticket or more like a plane ticket that would take them to the location of the tournament—it was a private plane to be more specific and only those who would be participating in the tournament would be riding it (along with the pilot, copilot, and other necessary associates). Because the location was quite exotic and out of the way, no normal plane could have done the job, besides, this kept out unnecessary publicity. Though the King of Iron Fist Tournament had the feel of being private, it was well publicized in the news all around the world to attract the best fighters. Not only was the prize money tantalizing, but the promise of there being a good challenge for all those who entered—it was something that was hard to pass up for any who wanted to prove themselves strong.

No doubt Kazuya was able to succeed in being chosen to be a competitor. In his case, the sign-up process took all of two days to do. It was obvious that his name must have been placed at the top of the list. Little reason why. Unlike all the other tournaments he had contended in, he didn't have to do a lot of spending. Not only was transportation provided for, but so was food and lodging. It was a nice change of pace not being at all worried about how much money he was spending. There was a downside however; he had to be on a plane with all the other people he would eventually have to beat down if not by someone else.

It was a large enough plane that everyone could sit comfortably, but a plane was a plane and they were all in a close enough vicinity to talk to one another. Many chose to do just that. Kazuya was certain that people were only trying to figure out each other's weaknesses rather than simple small talk, but he would not have joined in anyways. He tried to keep to himself. His eyes, however, were misleading. They passed over all the other passengers and he counted how many were there—fourteen excluding him. There were fourteen people standing in his way to his ultimate goal. One of them seemed wholly out of place—he looked to be a samurai or ninja of some sort. Along with that oddball, there was a brunette woman, a blonde woman, a Chinese old man, Paul—just the man that Kazuya _didn't_ want to see at the moment—a Native American woman, Marshall, the Chinese-American that Kazuya had seen before, Chaolan Lee, a female with a catlike mask on, a burly blond man who wasn't Paul, a sumo wrestler, a very odd and obviously robotic man, and two wrestlers who had similar jaguar masks and peculiar moving tails. There was another participant in the back of the plane, but they were not allowed to go back there—Kazuya could have sworn that he heard the sounds of a growling bear behind closed doors, but it could have easily been his imagination.

Chaolan Lee made no motions towards him besides a brief glance. He must have gotten the clue that Kazuya wanted nothing to do with him. Kazuya couldn't help but be just a little disturbed by the placid expression on his face. If he thought this tournament was going to be a walk in the park, he'd have to rethink his plans. Kazuya knew the reward for winning was gaining the position as head of the Mishima Zaibatsu. Because of that fact alone, Kazuya felt as if he was destined to win this. He was the one entitled to win the throne—it was sad that he had to literally fight for something like that. Besides, it would make Jinpachi happy wherever he was now. Kazuya could at least look forward to doing one thing right in his life.

Kazuya looked up from his thoughts when a shadow came over him.

"Who are you?" Kazuya asked roughly and in a rather thick accent—he assumed that everyone on this plane excluding Lee wouldn't understand his native tongue. Also, since the last tournament he had gone to, he had decided to pick up more English words—it would just make life whole lot easier—he was still not an expert, however; not like his adoptive brother.

"I've known you for a long time, Kazuya. We met face to face on that fateful day in the Mishima Zaibatsu main building."

A look of surprise crossed Kazuya's face, "You're him, you're Yoshimitsu," Kazuya said returning immediately to Japanese.

Kazuya gave the other a closer look. Yoshimitsu was all armor and his body was completely covered. In a sense, Kazuya really hadn't seen "Yoshimitsu". Covered as he was in armor, he still seemed to be hiding from the world.

"I've been watching you, Kazuya. You've gone to many tournaments to hone your skills. I sincerely hope you've improved your skills as a fighter. This is that chance you've been waiting for. This is the time to take back what was promised to you and save the world from an evil man."

"I'm here to take revenge on my father."

"You remember your promise."

"Ah, yes, that promise I made when I was just a kid," Kazuya replied, "I was a different person then," he finished distantly.

"It does not matter. I've halted all retaliation towards the evils of your father in favor of you facing them yourself. I believed you back then and I still believe you can keep your promise. The evidence is right in front of me. You are on this plane along with me—had you not been, I would have taken your place."

"Don't worry Yoshimitsu—your promise is safe with me." Kazuya noticed the large sword that the other had on his side. "I had no idea that weapons were allowed."

"Anything is allowed. For you, your fists will be your weapon."

"Little use it'll have against a sword like that. It almost seems like overkill."

"It is a sword that is passed down from Manji Clan leader to Manji Clan leader—the next leader in line must kill the current one with this very sword."

"And one day someone will kill you with a sword you've used your whole life. Sounds…how should I put it?—counterproductive and unnecessary."

"Outsiders, of course, wouldn't understand."

"Who am I to lecture someone else on killing?" Kazuya asked nonchalantly finally looking away from the other. "Your code is your code. Who you choose to kill is none of my concern."

"It is of _some_ of your concern. I fight for the good of the world. You have changed from the boy that you were—the moment I see that you have strayed from the right path after you have taken what was stolen from you—I will have to stop you."

"Is that a threat?"

"It is a warning. It is wise to know all the consequences before you do something you'll regret. Now, if you will excuse me."

With clinking armor, Kazuya watched as Yoshimitsu returned to his seat—the scene was rather comical. Had their seats been any smaller, Yoshimitsu would not have fit into them.

"Strange man," Kazuya said to himself as he returned to looking at nothing in particular.

If Yoshimitsu thought that he could keep him on some kind of leash, then he had another thing coming.

"Yes he does."

Kazuya nearly jumped out of his seat when he heard that voice. Then he noticed that most of conversation had stopped on the plane and he felt almost everyone's gaze on him. It seemed "nearly" jumping out of one's seat was enough to draw attention. Unable to simply ignore them outright, his eyes looked up to them and dared any of them to say something—Paul was utterly oblivious to such subtle threats.

"What's wrong? Nerves getting to ya? Don't worry we're almost there, then we can get to that fight where you lose."

Paul said this out loud so everyone could hear it much to Kazuya annoyance. There were some snickers here or there, but many kept their comments to themselves. Kazuya could tell that they were already sizing him up. He hadn't said anything thus far and had avoided most conversation; this was the only indication into what kind of fighter Kazuya was.

"Right," Kazuya responded simply with a grin. If Kazuya ran into Paul this tournament, he would be demolished plain and simple.

"You're almost there, Kazuya—you're so close to your goal."

There. There it was again. Devil's voice. It seemed like an eternity the last time he had actually heard it.

"You haven't forgotten about me, have you Kazuya? For God's sake, you don't have talk out loud, you can just talk to me mentally."

_I know that as well._

Kazuya made sure that he was no longer looking at anybody.

_It feels weird talking to some disembodied spirit—it always has. Why exactly would I want to start doing something like that again?_

"Disembodied, you say? I haven't been that for a long time, Kazuya. I am part of you and soon, I will _be_ you."

_Why are you bothering me now? What do you want?_

"Oh, I'm _bothering_ you now. All I'm trying to do is help."

_By scaring me half to death—making a fool out of me? Besides, I don't need your help in defeating my father. I want to defeat him on my own._

"You mean 'kill' him on your own, right? That's the only way to really get your revenge."

_I'll give him what he deserves._

"Which is kill."

_Kill. Defeat. They're all the same thing. What does it matter? What are you trying to get at?_

"You're getting soft. Has the years of wanting the same thing eaten away at your resolve? He's within your grasp and yet…the concept of actually killing him hasn't even crossed your mind. That's what we're here for, isn't it? You've killed before for even less. What's so different now?"

_That man from before…I don't know what came over me. That wasn't what I had intended to do. I—_

"Oh, please. You can't fool me, remember. You wanted to kill him. You gained pleasure from that. You can feel that same thing twofold, if you rid yourself of you father forever."

Kazuya closed his eyes when he felt the gravity of the situation come upon him. The question was did he truly hate his father to such a degree? Is that what he had been training for all these years to do? If killing was all he had to do, then bringing a gun would have sufficed, but no, he had trained and trained and trained so that his skills would exceed that of his father. Kazuya wanted a real fight and he wanted to defeat his father—win against him. That was as far as his plans went, he realized. Would he then take it to the next level? Would he then kill his father? Surely, once his father knew that he was strong enough to defeat him, he'd simply call it quits. It was all about strength to his father and that was the only thing he would listen to. And anyways, he was giving the winner of this tournament his most prized possession. It was obvious that his father believed the strongest man deserved to run the corporation. Strength. That was keyword. Surely kill would simply be…overkill.

"Oh, don't fool yourself, Kazuya. You're still surprisingly naïve. You really have grown soft. Well, let me help you out—

_No, I don't need your help. I'll do what I have to._

"As will I. You seem to have forgotten what he did to you. Some convenient amnesia."

_I know what he did._

"Yeah, that's what you tell yourself. I know what you're really thinking, Kazuya. You can't hide anything from me. It's that repugnant girl Jun again, isn't it? You think—

_I don't want to hear this from you._

"Tough. I want you to hear how ridiculous it sounds. You think defeating Heihachi will be enough. It would appease me. It would appease yourself. I'll simply fade into the background because I suddenly don't want to take over the world. You'll call Jun. She'll be overjoyed. You'll visit her at her university. You might even enroll in that university and you'll live the rest of your life normally and with what humans call 'love' becoming a different person altogether all for that Jun girl."

_Stop it._

"If it sounds too good to be true, then it is. You might as well forget about Jun. You pushed her away for a good reason. Subconsciously you know that it would never work out. It's time to face reality, boy."

_We still have a long ways to go._

"What do you mean?"

_To reach our destination. I think I'd rather rest for the remaining time than listen to your annoying voice the whole way._

"Now wait. Don't be so hasty. There's still some things I want to discuss…Damn it!"

It was a gift really. Kazuya could sleep anywhere. On dilapidated wooden floors, with music blaring in the background, on hard gym floors, on a ground full of dried leaves and twigs, and of course anything that even remotely resembled a bed. Screaming away at him was a highly inefficient way of rousing him—and that was all Devil could do at the moment. The only real way to get him up—and Jun had figured this out early on—was to shake him violently. Sure, he'd be pretty upset, but you would've gotten the job done. That was something Devil could not do and Kazuya knew this. Still, Devil tried the only thing he could do which was to yell at him, but that did little—it was all just background noise along with all the other people around who simply continued on with their conversation oblivious to Kazuya by now.

"Fine," Devil said heatedly. "Ignore me, but I will get what I want."

Kazuya's supposition about the flight taking quite some time had been right. It took an entire day before the plane finally touched down at an airport. By that time, Kazuya had woken on his own, but he had heard no more from Devil. After they climbed off the plane, they were transported to a hotel via limousine—it was all very classy. One could tell that the one sponsoring this tournament was high class.

They all had separate rooms that already contained training equipment unique to their fighting styles. Surprisingly, Kazuya didn't touch any of it. He put down his duffel bag and headed straight for the showers. There was a television and a nice bed, that was all Kazuya needed to make himself comfortable. He had done all the training he was going to do for this tournament or for anything. This was the opportunity that he had been searching for. After this one, he planned to be in charge of the Mishima Zaibatsu—he would no longer have any need to train as much as he had in the past. He'd be a businessman. It was a comforting feeling. Fighting was all he had known for a very long time. Even at such a young age, he wanted a change of pace.

"Already getting complacent," Devil said seemingly in his ear.

"Leave me alone."

"Is that all I get from you now? Didn't I say I was trying to help?"

Kazuya simply continued to flick through the television channels.

"We haven't even gotten to the actual tournament! There is a such a thing as too relaxed."

"You sound afraid, Devil. I'm not all that concerned with winning or losing—I know that I'll win."

"And how do you know that? How are you so confident? You don't even know what the other competitors are capable of."

"No, I don't, but I've done all the training in the world, I've participated in plenty of other tournaments, and besides I'm _so_ jetlagged."

"Really? That's your excuse?"

"If you're just going to bicker, keep it to yourself. I can't remember the last time you've actually helped me. Then again, that's never been the reason you were here in the first place."

Kazuya waited for the other's retort but it never came much to his satisfaction. He flicked through a few more channels and then stopped on a reality show—it was a guilty pleasure. Watching how other people lived had always fascinated him. It was "normal" compared to the life that he had lived. Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

"It's open!" Kazuya said with a raised voice in English.

Kazuya had no idea who it was, but he assumed that it was another person bringing in food. He didn't expect it to be Lee; he could see the white hair out of the corner of his eye.

"What do you want?" Kazuya asked returning to a more comfortable language.

"I was bored and you were close by."

"And why, pray tell, did you not go and bother your actual friends. I'm sure they're around."

"They probably are, but I don't often get to see you if at all. I was just wondering what you were up to."

Kazuya studied the other closely and then returned his eyes to the television, "Nothing really, as you can see."

"One would think you'd be pounding away at some unfortunate sandbag."

"I've done enough of that. If you were here to get some type of advantage in the tournament, you never had a chance; sorry to disappoint."

"I wouldn't do that."

"Tell me anything. Why else would a rival adoptive brother vying for the same prize as me want to come "checkup" on me?"

"So everyone has to have an ulterior motive, huh?"

"Not everybody, but especially you in particular."

"Fine, keep your suspicions."

Lee noticed one thing out of place in Kazuya's room—there was a large stuffed teddy bear sitting quite comfortably on the floor beside the head of the bed, but Lee decided not to say anything about it. Something told him that it would be wise not to. Kazuya, on his part, drew no attention towards it and instead was looking intently at the screen.

"So, what are you watching?"

"Reality show," Kazuya answered immediately.

"Oh really, those are always interesting."

Lee walked further into the room in order to see the TV. He stood there for a while watching. "Can I take that seat over there?" Lee asked referring to one of the chairs that was under the dining room table.

"Do what you want."

Lee was surprised that he had even said that much. He quickly got the chair just in case Kazuya changed his mind. It wasn't long before Marshall showed up as well claiming to have been looking for Lee. Lee hadn't closed the door so it was easy to see that he was there. Kazuya had the same reaction to him as well. The last person who showed up was Paul who saw that both of his friends happened to be in Kazuya's room. He was the only one to make a big deal about his presence, but Kazuya could care less and eventually Paul simply took up a chair just like the others and sat down in quiet fascination of the reality show that Kazuya had been watching from the beginning.

The circumstances itself was strange enough, but the fact that they hadn't broken out into an all-out brawl was even more so. Kazuya wasn't all that talkative, but the other three made up for that fact enough so that he might add in a few words here or there. They weren't discussing the upcoming tournament or fighting styles—oddly enough they spoke only on the reality show. From the outside looking in, it might have looked like a group of colleagues who had just decided to spend their free time watching television. If Jun had seen this, she would have been overjoyed to see what appeared to be Kazuya getting along with other people.

It all depended on what kind of mood he was in. At this point, he was so ridiculously prepared for this tournament and his goals were so set in stone that he felt completely and utterly at ease—nothing could ruin his serene mood not even if some idiot had run off with his wallet; he would not have batted an eye. Lee wasn't sure what to make of him, but he thought he would enjoy it while it lasted. He didn't ask any personal questions, he hadn't dared to; he kept it at a very impersonal level so as not to draw out any sort of confrontation. He had still remembered Jun's plea to him when he was younger—to try to get along with his brother. He had thought it impossible at the time, but he still hadn't forgotten it. After so many years, he thought they could put their differences aside. Was it indeed possible? Could this day also be repeated in the future? Lee sincerely hoped so. He hadn't entered the tournament because of money or fame or a chance to face a challenging fight; he had done so to gain possession of a position he had devoted almost his entire life to becoming: the CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu. Even if Kazuya won—and there was a good chance he would—he believed that by staying close by, in other words working in the company, Kazuya would have the good sense to hand over his position to him. Kazuya didn't seem like someone who would even be interested in business or making money. That went for any of the guys who could possibly win. Lee was practically in a win-win situation. He could lose the tournament tomorrow, but still get what he wanted in the end.

The three of them, having nothing better to do, stayed there in Kazuya's room and one by one they dropped off as the night became late. Kazuya noticing that everyone else had fallen asleep turned off the television and did the same—there was no way he was going to drag them all off to their proper rooms especially if he didn't know for sure which room was whose. The hotel was kept at a good temperature so climbing under the covers was unnecessary.

/

The next morning would be full of surprises. He woke up as sunlight struck his closed eyelids. He squinted at the sudden light and realized that someone must have opened the blinds. There was a man dressed in a black suit who was obviously the culprit as he was next to the blinds and he had just dropped the white wand that controlled them. The man smiled at him easily.

"There's a letter on the bed beside you," the man spoke in Japanese.

Without asking questions, Kazuya looked to his side and found a blue envelope with his first name on it. "Okay…" Kazuya responded uncertainly.

"Open it, please."

Kazuya simply did so and inside was a yellow index card with a time and the word "blue" written under it. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

"The time indicates what time the doors will be open and you will be released into the area. Blue indicates what arrows you should follow. After you step out of this room, you will follow the blue arrows until you arrive at a metal door. At the time that appears on your card, the door will be unlocked and you can go forth. Whoever you run into first you must fight and it must be a one on one battle. You must defeat four people before you are eligible to proceed to the last fight which is against Heihachi Mishima. After defeating four participants, you can choose to avoid all other battles by evading all other encounters and making a run for it towards the other end of the island—that is what I suggest you do. Whoever defeats Heihachi first wins automatically and the tournament will come to a close."

"I don't understand. Won't we all just get lost since none of us are familiar with the environment outside?"

"Follow the blue arrows as much as you can. If you find yourself lost, look for the colored arrows on the trees—they are quite obvious and easy to spot. Everyone's colors will be on display. I advise you to at first follow a color that is not your own to quickly make an encounter."

"Hm, pretty clever. Someone went out of their way to make this different from other tournaments—it's almost like a free for all."

The man smiled at the other, "Mr. Mishima was indeed going for that feel. He believes that a structured tournament leaves much to be desired."

"That old bastard—he thinks he so wise when it comes to combat. So, are there any rules of engagements?"

"None at all. Besides the rules I have given you: wait for your time to enter the area and win four one-on-one fights before proceeding to the other end of the island, there is none. You now have thirty minutes. I suggest you prepare yourself."

"Wait, where are the other three who were in the room yesterday?"

"They were taken back to their respective rooms. I have to say, it was quite surprising to see people who will soon be fighting each other fraternizing right before the tournament."

Kazuya shrugged casually and watched as the man exited the room and shut the door behind him. Kazuya immediately leaped into action changing into more comfortable clothes that were still sensible enough to fight in and stepped out of his room. The blue arrows were as clear as day. He followed them quickly to a metal door. There was a convenient clock on the wall above the door and Kazuya waited with arms crossed until the door finally opened.

After waiting an eternity, the door made a clicking noise and then Kazuya tried out the door handle. He pushed it down and the door swung open. Kazuya, after finally climbing into the outside world, was presented with a thick forest full of trees. There were painted arrows as far as the eye could see. Following the man's advice, he decided to travel the route of a color besides his own. He went with purple first. It didn't take long for him to run into another person, the person being a blonde woman.

"Fancy running into you," Nina said upon seeing him, "You're just the man I wanted to see."

"Let's just get this over with."

Nina noticed the heavy accent in his voice as he spoke English and grinned, "Don't bother with English—I can understand Japanese quite well. I came here to find you, Kazuya—I was sent to assassinate you. That is to say," Nina continued noticing that the other didn't quite understand, "I was sent to kill you. Someone wants you dead and I'm here to make sure that it happens."

Nina finally got into her fighting stance with hands erect, Kazuya's fists were anxious to finish her off. He didn't wait for the other person to begin; he pounced on her as soon as he could. He backhanded her across the face so hard that she was made disoriented. In that brief moment of confusion, Kazuya dished out a crippling body shot from his fist and then another and another until she could barely stand. Sensing that she must not have much stamina left, he simply pushed her to the ground as she gasped for breath.

"So you came here to kill me, did you? You have a long ways go before you can ever kill a Mishima."

"Think again, it's not over," Nina replied smoothly.

As deftly as a cat, she pulled herself up far enough to swing her feet across the ground and trip the other up. Had it worked, it might have been impressive, but Kazuya had seen it coming and had jumped at the right moment. Growing tired of her tricks, Kazuya advanced upon her before she could fully climb to her feet and grabbed hold of her tiny neck—it fit perfectly into his wrapped hand. He threatened to cut off her air supply and all Nina could think to do was try to loosen his grip, but it was iron tight.

"You give up?" Kazuya asked the other.

"No!" Nina gasped out angrily.

"Dedicated to your job. The way I see it, if you want to live to see another day—you'll see that this fight has already been decided."

"I can't! I can't lose to you!"

Kazuya gritted his teeth and squeezed even harder. He watched as her face grew red from the effort of drawing air from her lungs. "Don't be an idiot!"

Judging from the determined look that Kazuya could not seem to wipe off of her face, he knew that she would not back down, not unless he…

"Then why don't you kill her," Devil's voice enticed in his ears.

"I'll do as I please," Kazuya responded not bothering to answer back mentally.

Kazuya unhanded the blonde woman. When she hit the ground, he grabbed her by the hair and swung her so hard into a nearby tree that she fell unconscious immediately.

"She's either dead or unconscious," Kazuya said aloud after seeing that she made no further movements.

She laid sprawled on the hard ground and he was sure that he left a rather large gash on her forehead. If she did manage to survive, it was likely that she'd simply bow out of the tournament.

"Why don't you make sure that she won't bother you anymore?" Devil asked as Kazuya turned from her.

"It isn't necessary. I'm through with her. I just need to find three other people," Kazuya replied aloud.

The red arrow caught his eye and he arbitrarily decided to follow it. The first thing he heard after ten minutes of walking through the foliage was a growling bear that sounded none too happy. Kazuya followed the sound and to his surprise he found Paul locked in deadly combat with a massive bear. He watched the entire thing in amazement. Paul was actually strong enough to throw the bear back multiple times until it simply gave up and stalked off.

"Ha ha! Fight number 2 is done!" Paul cried out like a maniac.

Kazuya wasn't sure if he should leave the other to his own devices or interrupt his victory dance. Apparently he was on his third fight already, Kazuya couldn't afford to let the other remain in the lead for much longer. He purposely made a lot of noise as he stepped forward closer to where Paul was.

"So it's you! I was hoping we'd meet up. All this following arrows got me a little worried, but here you are. C'mon, give me your best shot. If I can beat a bear, I can beat anyone!"

Kazuya already had his fists up. Paul ran towards him at top speed. Unprepared for this sudden spurt of energy, when Paul's shoulder rammed into his chest, Kazuya was sent flying back into a nearby tree. For a short moment, the air was knocked out of him and Paul was on him in a second. A heavy punch came crashing down on his head and another and another.

"How do you like that? It's called the Hammer of the Gods!"

Kazuya was a bit disoriented as he climbed back to his feet. A steady stream of blood climbed down his forehead, but he didn't have time to see just how bad it was as the madman known as Paul was coming towards him again to perhaps finish him off, Kazuya went on autopilot as sidestepped once and then spotting an exposed chin, he drove his fist upwards in a fierce dragon uppercut. A small amount of electricity jolted through Paul after he was sent flying a good distance. Paul had scarcely gotten to his feet again before he felt Kazuya's knee ram with a solid force into his guts followed by another uppercut and a thrust that sent him crashing to the ground once again. Paul leaped back to his feet sensing that Kazuya was catching his stride and swung his fist as hard as he could into the other's stomach and then followed it with a roundhouse kick knocking the other down again. He might have continued on with a sweeping kick while the other was on the ground had Kazuya not leaped to his feet again so quickly pushing him back a little and disrupting his flow of attacks. A rain of kicks and punches was brought down upon Paul—and before Paul knew it, he was knocked up into the air once again with more electricity. It was beginning to take its toll on the energetic Paul who took a moment longer than usual before trying to get back up again. Before he could, another stronger jolt of electricity was sent through him as Kazuya stomped down on the other with painful force. Paul found himself coughing up blood, but there was no way he was going to give up so easily.

"You should quit while ahead," Kazuya spoke in his broken English.

"In your dreams!" Paul spat.

He grabbed Kazuya's exposed leg and tried to knock him off balance. He was at least strong enough to do this as he scrambled back to his feet. He couldn't hold back now—he had to finish off Kazuya while he still had enough strength. Kazuya was already slightly off-balance by this time; Paul went for another low sweeping kick but with much more force behind it to knock Kazuya completely off of his feet. Before Kazuya could touch ground, Paul fist shot out to send him a bit higher into the air and then another power punch that sent Kazuya flying once again, but by this time Paul was out of breath—he hoped that this would've been the straw that broke the horse's back. Surely, Kazuya had to be feeling it as well. Paul watched in silent desperation as Kazuya's form remained still on the ground, but then after a few seconds past, he was climbing to his feet once again, but with more difficulty.

"Bastard, why don't you stay down?" Paul cried out.

The only thing left to do was to defend against Kazuya's next attacks. If he could hold out, he'd have another chance to finish Kazuya. Paul had felt Kazuya's attacks before; he knew that another bout of his strange electricity would send him unconscious. Paul should have put his hands up a bit higher as Kazuya struck a quick jab to the jaw and while caught off guard dished out another volley of punches and kicks, but this time it ended in a hard, electrifying body shot and finally Paul fell to the ground limply.

Kazuya was almost too glad to finish him off. He hadn't expected to expend so much of his energy on one person and especially not on the second fight. Then again, this was the same guy who had just finished taking on a bear—what was he to expect? Unlike before, he did not go immediately to the next fight. He knew that time was of the essence, but he also knew he could not walk into a fight half-assed. He allowed himself to rest for a few minutes as he accessed his injuries. He wasn't bleeding too badly from his head—it was a small scratch, but on a very sensitive area of his head. He wiped away the thin stream of blood so as not to draw attention to it—surely any other fighter with half a brain would go for his injuries first if they wanted to finish him off quickly. Kazuya climbed slowly and dizzily to his feet. He waited for the world to stop spinning before proceeding. There was no help for it, he needed to continue. The white arrows which he hadn't seen before until now stood out to him and he followed these to his next fight.

He caught up to Lee this time. Lee's arrows had actually been purple, but he too had been following the white arrows. All of this didn't matter once Lee realized that an opponent was upon him.

"You look worse for wear. That doesn't mean I'll go easy on you."

"I don't expect you to."

Lee was someone who relied heavily on his rapid kicks, but his punches were devastating as well once he got into it. Kazuya didn't waste time starting things—a drawn out fight was his enemy. His body knew what to do better than his brain at this point. Lee was quick. For a deafening moment, all Kazuya could feel were his kicks hitting him from every angle possible, but one hard blow to the body sent Lee falling to his knees. Kazuya lifted the other to his feet so that he could better aim his next four body shots. Then when Lee was down again, Kazuya rammed his knee so hard into his chest that Lee cried out in pain. Lee tried climbing to his feet again, but found that he was completely immobilized. Lee was not as determined as the other two fighters had been and simply gave up.

"How many?" Lee gasped as he managed to pull himself up to sitting position.

"You would be my third."

"Wow, you don't waste any time. My color was purple—you'll run into fewer fights if you follow that one I think."

"Alright."

"And, Kazuya, be careful. I know you want your revenge on Heihachi, but he'll be at 100% while you've already fought four people. It isn't worth your life."

"I'll be fine."

"Right," Lee respond in a tone that suggested that he did not fully believe the other.

Kazuya stalked off in the direction of where the purple arrows pointed. He followed it for miles and he met no one. He grew a little anxious when he felt that he was drawing too near the other side of the island, but then finally his fears were abated. As if the massive blond machine had been waiting for him, he stood motionlessly in his path. Something about him ticked off Kazuya immediately.

"You may not pass," in a voice that made it painfully obvious that he was indeed a machine.

"Says who?"

"Says Heihachi Mishima."

"So he put you up to it. He thinks he can stop me with a mere robot—he's insulted me for the last time."

"Prepare to die," Jack declared.

"The second one today," Kazuya grumbled before bringing his fists up.

Jack was everything Kazuya thought he would be: predictable and hard-hitting. Jack was so predictable, in fact, that Kazuya was able to evade most of his attempts at attacking. Who couldn't avoid those massive hands as they tried to go in for quick jabs or his elbow tried to knock him backwards. Jack was a bit more flexible than Kazuya had anticipated and his Cyclone Hammer where he would spin around not once but twice with his fists out and then end it with a bone shattering uppercut that didn't have nearly as much air as Kazuya's and send his opponent flying backwards. Kazuya had gotten caught by that twice, but not for a third time. Kazuya was glad that he had successfully avoided Jack's falling hands that would have made him one with the ground permanently. Jack was dangerous to fight up close or for a prolonged time period since he did not lose breath like a human. A machine like him could annihilate a lesser man, but Kazuya was determined. He evaded one of Jack's long strings of body shot where his arm went back and forth like a broken record and tackled the other to the ground and bashed him over and over and over again on the ground before letting him up again. Before Jack could get off one of his silly looking Cossack kicks again, Kazuya spun and kicked him off balance twice and then finished with a left and right hook. He didn't stop there however. With more concentration, his fists became charged with electricity and he unleashed five of his Demon God Fists into the machine, spun kick three more times, twirled twice more to kick him even harder in the face from both sides, grabbed for his head and tossed him to the ground as hard as he could. While Jack was on the ground, he dropped his foot that was charged with more electricity into his back so hard that it went right through it and out the other side. Jack did not cry out in pain, but it did become nonresponsive. Kazuya watched the other for a while before determining that Jack was indeed knocked out completely—he was more akin to a pile a junk.

"If this is what my father thinks will stop, he'll be in for a rude awakening," Kazuya said to himself looking at the now pitiful machine that seemed as if it was having a seizure before shutting down.

He was so close right now he could taste it. Kazuya took a few minutes to gather himself before proceeding. He felt confident that he still had enough energy to pull off the two moves he had come up with to finish Heihachi. He could picture it in his mind, but first he would have to tire the other one out before unleashing his ultimate attack.

He didn't have far to go until he reached the other end of the island. When he did, Heihachi was waiting for him with all the patience in the world.

"Ah, my second fight. I didn't think there'd be another one quite so soon."

"You underestimate me, old man."

Heihachi laughed, "Kazuya, so it's you. How have you liked my tournament so far?"

"I could have done without the killer robot, besides that enjoyable—it's right up your alley."

"Yes, only the strong can survive my tournament. I'm glad you've made it this far. It means that you've been keeping up your training. I'm going to enjoy this."

"Then you'll enjoy losing," Kazuya said already moving into his initial fighting stance which was similar to the one that Heihachi changed into.

Heihachi started things off with a left right combo with his fists. Kazuya was taken aback by the force behind such a simple attack—it took more out of him than he had expected and he didn't miss the tingle of electricity. Heihachi didn't give him much time to recover before he attacked him with a similar succession of hits, but ending with a double handed thrust that sent so much electricity coursing through his body that Kazuya had no choice but to fall back. It was then that Kazuya realized something—Heihachi had managed to incorporate the blue electricity into all of his attacks which made them doubly powerful. Heihachi wouldn't have to do nearly as much as a normal fighter to take down his opponent. Kazuya began to evade more and more looking for an opening. He could tell that Heihachi was enjoying himself—he hadn't gotten hit once and his opponent was beginning to seem more like a punching bag. Eventually, Kazuya stood his ground and successfully blocked one of Heihachi's electrified Demon Kicks and retaliated with a hard thrust forward. Heihachi was only pushed back a little. Kazuya knew that he had to come harder than this if he was going to sap the other's stamina. He conjured forth more of his electricity for his next few attacks—left hook, right hook, left hook, right hook and then a spinning kick that was blocked easily by the other. Kazuya didn't let this slow him down; he brought his fist down so hard upon the other with such a massive amount of electricity that Heihachi stumbled back in dizziness. Kazuya saw this as an opening and he might have dropkicked him hard into the ground had the other not retaliated so quickly almost too quickly for a human. Heihachi turned and stiff armed Kazuya so abruptly that for a moment all he did was stand still as his momentum disappeared into thin air. As if it were a delayed reaction, Kazuya fell back to the ground. Kazuya rolled back to his feet before the other could stomp him into the ground and twirled as quickly as he could for two sweeping kicks that successfully knocked the other one off balance. Kazuya's knee went up fast and met with solid bones and then with flesh. Heihachi was knocked into the perfect position for a nice little Rising Uppercut from Kazuya. This one came from his right hand and was therefore lower than any of his other ones—it still did the trick. Heihachi was pushed back even more now.

Kazuya grew wary when Heihachi moved into another stance and began to charge himself up with a massive amount of electricity. Heihachi came at him so quickly afterwards, that Kazuya had no time to evade Heihachi's demobilizing attack—a sharp forward thrust and a downward elbow stroke all completely charged up. The first thrust alone stopped any movement that Kazuya could have made—it was as if his heart had stopped for a moment. The next hit and Kazuya crashed into the ground so hard that the earth beneath him crumbled. His face felt numb for an entire minute. He couldn't move, he thought he was going to die at that very moment as he struggled to breathe once again when Heihachi's massive feet crashed down into him causing him to spit out blood.

"MOVE!" Devil bellowed.

In a state of panic, Kazuya rolled over once and successfully dodged Heihachi's finishing stroke and then climbed back to his feet only to find a fist coming directly for his face. Kazuya put his arms up to defend himself as he was pushed further and further back. Kazuya finally ducked under the volley of high attacks from Heihachi and got in two electrified jabs into the other's stomach. Before Heihachi could do anything about it, Kazuya quickly stepped backwards out of Heihachi's reach and then came forth again to bring his elbow down upon the other's head. He brought his knee up again which then turned into a hard, electrified dropkick that sent Heihachi to the ground. He moved back once again just as Heihachi climbed to his feet again.

"You think you can keep up with me, boy. Look at you, you're almost finished."

"Well, you don't look so well yourself."

Kazuya had managed to draw blood from the other; it flowed down from his left temple. Heihachi began to charge himself up once again, but Kazuya had some idea as to what Heihachi would do next and he sidestepped a split second before Heihachi could land his powerful right handed thrust into his body. Kazuya knew that expending so much energy at one time would soon take its toll. Heihachi had slowed down and he was in the prime condition for his signature move. Kazuya lowered his center of gravity and brought forth a staggering amount of electricity which he had been holding back for this moment. The ground rumbled a little as Kazuya turned once then twice as he concentrated everything into one fist. Then he leaped up as his dominant left hand shot to the sky and connected with Heihachi sending him flying into the air and falling roughly to the ground. Lightening still crackled on his fists as he watched the other intently. Heihachi could still move much to his surprise, but Kazuya wasn't finish with him yet.

"Get this over with already—quit stalling," Devil said anxiously.

Kazuya ignored Devil, and approached Heihachi slowly as he struggled to climb to his feet once again.

"You little—

Heihachi was high enough now. Before Heihachi could finish his statement, Kazuya crouched and yanked Heihachi downwards into his knee with crippling force. Satisfied when he heard a distinct cracking noise, he stood up and thrust Heihachi to the ground again with the heel of foot. Heihachi seemed to have stopped breathing altogether.

"Make sure," Devil encouraged, "You have to make sure."

"I don't have to do anything. Look at him, he's done."

Kazuya looked around himself. He had indeed reached the other end of the island—he could hear the waves again crashing against the rocks. From where he stood, the ground slanted upward into a cliff that dropped directly into the ocean. Silently, he lifted Heihachi into his arms and walked over to the very edge of the precipice and released Heihachi to the rocks below.

END OF TEKKEN 1

/

AN: I can finally let out a sigh of relief—I'm done with the first Tekken. I might have ended the story here, but quite a few reviewers mentioned interest in a continuation. This will be continuing this in a story entitled "The Kazuya Story: Tekken 2".


End file.
